The Beauty of Imperfection
by Kouralia
Summary: My sister had the perfect life, but threw it away to live within her favorite anime. Neither of us counted on my accidental inclusion. I thought it would be hell, but this world has a strange effect on us. Suddenly, she doesn't seem to cast such a large shadow. I had to take that chance to prove myself as more than just "The Mary Sue's sister". I had to become a ninja. OC story
1. Prologue

I woke to the sound of a screeching alarm clock. It was such an ingrained sound, that I twisted around to turn it off without seeming to register anything. Still, the process was as familiar as it was simple. Only minutes passed before I was crawling out of bed. Soon enough my body was dressed and my dull black hair straightened out, several tufts ignoring the demands of my hairbrush. My sole thought, as it always tended to be on a school morning, was "At least it's not Monday".

I took my time getting breakfast downstairs. No one else would be up for a while, despite the looming day of school or work. My twin sister didn't like to be up more than ten minutes before catching the bus, and my parents would only get up ten minutes before that in order to make her breakfast and get ready for their own day. Only the best for a prodigy. I silently berated myself for the errant negative thought.

I didn't hate her for it, of course not. How could anyone not be left jealous when their twin- who came from the exact same circumstances as themselves, was so much more talented? I didn't want to be consumed by this petty jealousy, so I tried to claim what I could for myself. That included the mornings, a sacred time that was truly for me. This early, it wasn't just my family that would still be in bed. It was the only time that I'd give openly to anything from self pity to errant thoughts about school or hobbies, mostly on the self pity side. It was the cliche "me time" that most movies dedicated to spa-trips and the like. Of course, this was a much more common occurrence, and also free. I figured, if I tried my best to get it out of my system, then I could spend the rest of the day being as good a sister and as normal a person as possible.

Obviously, it never worked.

My parents did eventually filter into the kitchen, Mom making a beeline towards the stove, and my Dad to the cupboards to prepare a bowl of cereal. I continued to sit at my chair by the window.

"So, when is Cerelia's music competition again?" Dad asked suddenly. I didn't even know that my sister had a competition to do, but it didn't surprise me. She was always entering things like that to showcase her talent to the world. Mom and Dad got such a kick out of it that it was probably for them as much as it was for her.

"Next Thursday", Mom replied.

"Oh. What time is it?"

"five. But I have to get there early so they can set up. I don't know why they need our Cerelia for that, she's the star of the show. They should be able to manage setting up without her, since she's pulling all the weight." Mom complained, earning a sigh from Dad.

"I know, honey. Cerelia's got a lot on her hands. I'm sure the organizers just want everyone to pitch in so that there is less work."

Then suddenly, attention was brought to me. "Oh, Aurora! How about you come with us and take your sister's place setting up? Cerelia needs to prepare for the show, she won't have time to move tables and chairs."

I could only sigh and nod. "Sure." I replied. It wouldn't be the first time I'd "volunteered" to take over some of Cerelia's group related duties, and it wouldn't be the last. At least this time it was only setting up a little. I might as well, since the other kids in that group would probably get annoyed if they had no help at all.

Mom finished scrambling the eggs, and stared down at the two bread slice that were still stubbornly un-toasted. With a frown she pushes down on the toaster lever again, plunging the half-toast back into the slots. "Would you go wake up your sister? Her breakfast is ready." I nod and stand easily, barely giving a glance at the delicious eggs. There wasn't a point in asking for any myself. I knew the answer would always be some variation of "Oh, but there just isn't enough time". At least mom wasn't a hypocrite, she didn't make any for Dad either.

Quietly, I slipped up the staircase. Cerelia's room was right by the stairs. I knocked on the door quietly, at first. She's never been much of a morning person, although once awake, she could ready herself in a flash. I opened the door next, poking my head inside. There was a still lump underneath the covers, which finally stirred at the sound of my fist against a wall. The blankets slid down somewhat, and revealed a black head of hair, streaked with blood red. Cerelia turned over to glance at me, golden eyes squinted, barely awake. "It's time to get up," I informed softly. Cerelia blinked, nodded, and sat up. Her long, two toned hair was splayed about her like a silk curtain. How her hip length hair didn't get tangled around her in her sleep, I never knew.

Satisfied that she was moving about, I shut the door to give her some privacy. As my job was accomplished, I walked back down to the kitchen to clean my breakfast dishes and gather my things for school. Mondays were never fun.

On the bus, I tried not to pay attention to the mundane ramblings of the other students. They never noticed me, such was the magnetic personality of my sister. When they weren't talking about her, it was generally about out of school activities, or how much they disliked this teacher and that assignment. Sure, I probably could reach out and make some friends, but what was the point when Cerelia was the only twin that mattered? I didn't want fair weather friends- that lesson was learned the hard way. This year, things would be different. I may not have had much self confidence, but I knew what to avoid.

Eventually, the bus came to a stop, but not before driving over a speed bump swiftly enough to separate me from my seat for a moment. Everyone filed out of the bus, laughing and jostling. I made sure to pull out of my seat only after Cerelia, and therefore after most of the noise.

The first class of the day was math. It wasn't my idea of starting a Monday either. From my seat in the back, I surveyed the room of 12 year old children. Cerelia was in the middle row, surrounded by Mark, Lucy, and Rachel. It really wasn't fair that I ended up in Cerelia's class even now that I was in grade seven. Before this grade, at our smaller kindergarten-to-grade-six school, there hadn't been a choice. At this bigger school, I had a good six out of seven chance to finally get that separation. I was never able to break the shackles of shyness when anywhere near my sister. No, my optimism was crushed on the first day of school- we were bound together again in this class of grade seven kids.

I had hoped that, at the very least, our mutual newness at this school would even things out a bit, maybe give me the chance to do my own thing. Unfortunately, it was only October and it seemed that Cerelia had already taken her rightful throne on the school's social pyramid. I couldn't blame her, what with all of that natural talent in nearly everything stuffed inside one body, at least she only flaunted the minimal amount.

The teacher, Ms. Karn, cleared her throat, alerting me to the beginning of class. I sighed quietly, leaning back. She was handing back the first unit test, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see mine. I had studied pretty well, but it was very difficult. Everything seemed more difficult now, what with the new experience of middle school. It was confusing enough, having different teachers for each class. I still wished that they had gone ahead and done things completely high school style so that I wouldn't be stuck in Cerelia's class for every subject.

Mine is one of the first names called. I grudgingly retrieve my test. I didn't dare to look until I sat back down, only to sigh once I finally read it. A red pen marked 76% on the front page under my name. It was good enough for me, I only rarely got an "A", and from what I remembered, 76% was a B. Then, even knowing that I shouldn't, I glanced over to Cerelia as she picks up hers. She didn't study at all, or do any of the homework. Maybe she also took a bit of a hit from this new school? Maybe she'd sigh and frown and have to actually work for her perfect marks? The teacher smiled softly as she passed the paper to Cerelia, who in turn glanced down and furrowed her eyebrows I bit my lip, hopes rising even as I mentally chided myself for hoping on her failure. She sat down quietly, putting the paper face down on her desk. Cerelia looked up at the ceiling as if in impatience. I can't believe it- did she really do badly on this test? My attention is renewed when Lucy snatched the test and gasped in admiration.

"Oh-my-gosh, Cerelia, you got ninety nine percent! How are you so smart?" She exclaimed, and the others sitting nearby swivel around to extend their praises. Cerelia just shrugged and almost looked annoyed. She was never one to brag- being talented with feelings as well as everything else- but usually she would smile or grin or _something_. "It really isn't important, one little test like this" Cerelia began, shrugging again. "I'm sure you all have amazing talents in other areas"

I couldn't help but frown. I spent way too much time observing my sister from a mixture of jealousy and admiration. Of course, everyone had their off days. She probably just stayed up extra late or something.

"Ohh, that's not possible, Cere. You're so perfect, it isn't even fair to the rest of us!" Rachel laughed in good nature. I turned away from the sight in frustration, looking at my 76 that suddenly felt abysmal. That right there, was the story of my life.

The next class of the day was Phys-ed. That was a class I could usually deal with. I wouldn't call myself an exercise freak or anything, but I was fairly athletic, and enjoyed a good hike or bike ride.

"Okay guys, today we're going to play some soccer outside!" Our gym teacher shouted once everyone had filtered out of the change room. There aren't any complaints, today was a sunny, if a little crisp, October day. Some time outside was relatively welcome.

We filtered outside through the gym doors, teacher carrying the soccer ball. "Okay, let's see two team captains here, one boy, one girl!" After a moment of mumbling, Steve, a somewhat popular kid, stepped up. Everyone automatically looked toward Cerelia. She was always put in the place of authority whenever one was presented. Sometimes she volunteered, other times she was pushed into them form a multitude of nominators.

Instead of stepping up with a cheerful smile, Cerelia actually groaned a bit, looking around her. "Oh come on, I don't feel like it today. How about Tabitha?" She pointed at another one of her female friends. This time, everyone took notice at her odd behavior. I nearly gaped. Sure, she had become more distant lately, but never like this. I couldn't help but think that something might be up.

The teacher at least didn't dwell on it, even if everyone else began to look at Cerelia in concern. "Well?" He prompted Tabitha, who took one more glance at Cerelia before nodding nervously. Steve got to pick a student for his team first due to winning at rock-paper-scissors, immediately snapping up my sister. I didn't blame him, everyone would want her on their team.

Meanwhile, I was picked at about 4th last. It wasn't because I had no skill or anything. It was mostly because I wasn't known. Everyone picked their friends first, then their acquaintances. Timid freckled girls with messy black hair were afterthoughts, even if they were related to clean and ivory skinned beauties.

I could block out my thoughts a bit better when we were running about. I ended up on Cerelia's team (_of course_), and so I played a defensive position. It was my favourite but I couldn't defend against my sister, so I always played offense when she was on the opposing team. The way she could run circles around everyone, ducking and weaving almost like a professional was honestly unfair. The other team stood about as much a chance as I did in beating her at anything.

At lunch I couldn't help but observe Cerelia's strangeness today. She fidgeted and picked at her food as if impatient for something. She had been antsy before for no apparent reason, but nothing like this. Every subtle hint confused me more and more. Eventually, I had to give up on it and eat my sandwich in the privacy of my own lunch table.

After that, English and Social Studies passed by in a blur of boredom. We were working on various assignments, and I couldn't afford to pay attention to anything else, even if I really didn't want to do my work. I could only feel the anticipation of some event, even if I didn't know what it was.

Finally, the last period of the day was Music. That was a class I could enjoy, at least. Even if Cerelia excelled at all things instrument related, I had just one skill against her. One skill that she didn't have. I could sing. Not even amazingly, and I never showed it off in class because I was too shy. But it was something, and I could treasure it silently while struggling to wield my flute.

Near the end of the class as the teacher was about to ask us to put our instruments away, Cerelia's hand shot in the air.

"Mrs. Fenfield, Can I show the class something I've been working on?" She inquired. That was more like my sister, though she was practically bouncing in her seat as she spoke. Maybe this was what she's been waiting for all day? The teacher just nods, and Cerelia goes to the front of the room with her Clarinet. She had started with a flute like mine, mastered it on a high school level in the first month, then switched to Clarinet out of boredom. Of course the teacher let her, how could anyone not when faced with such skill? Plus, there were no rules against switching instruments.

Cerelia cleared her throat before beginning, "Okay, this song is an opening from my favourite Anime, Naruto. It's a show you all should watch if you don't already!" She nodded to herself, and then started playing. It was odd, she didn't ever mention Naruto to people at school. I generally assumed that it was because she wanted to avoid any negative stereotypes of fat Anime geeks living in damp basements. Not that anyone would dare to apply any kind of negative stereotype to her. Even though she was rather obsessed with the Anime, especially in the past few months.

When she finished, everyone clapped earnestly, not just out of politeness. Cerelia was still looking odd. Everyone began to mill about the door- it was last period and the bell would ring soon. I stayed in my chair to avoid the crowd. It wasn't like I would be that much later if I only got up when the bell rang.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a jacket on the seat beside me. It belonged to a kid named Chris. I looked up and saw him out by the door, making googly eyes at my sister. I wondered if he knew his jacket was still over here. The bell rang and he strolled right out after Cerelia. I hoped he wasn't going to ask her out again. She refused everyone, plus it was awkward because I was always there and they never bothered to ask in private, like I didn't even matter.

I glanced back at the jacket. It would be a little rude if I didn't try to get it to him, especially if he was going to be following us home. I snatched it up and hurried out the door, catching up to Cerelia and the jacket's owner.

"Um," I began, trying to meet his eyes. He was attempting to work up some kind of courage as he trailed behind my sister, and didn't notice me. I try again, "Uh, hey, um Chris?" I prompted louder, and he flinched back, turning to me.

Instead of making conversation, I pushed the jacket at him. "You forgot it in class", I mumbled. He took it with slight confusion in his eyes.

"Thanks, uh... you're Cerelia's sister, right?" I nodded, not bothering to state my name. After all, that tended to be how I was defined by most people. Chris glanced back at Cerelia, then at me, then at Cerelia again. He shook his head and abruptly changed directions, walking off with his lost courage. I fell in step with Cerelia. She was walking rather fast, with a strange, almost crazed expression on her face.

"Cerelia? Are you okay?" I hesitantly asked. She spared me a glance for one second, before turning back to the road ahead of us. "I'm fine." She answered curtly. I took in her tight posture. There was definitely something off.

"A-are you sure? I mean, you've been a little off all day. Are you going anywhere tonight?" I tried again. All of these clues pointed towards something going down. I knew her well enough to recognize a kind of anticipation around her.

This time, Cerelia didn't turn to look at me, but I could see her conflicted expression. "I... there's something... well nothing you need to worry about. Everything is fine!" It was clear by her loud statement that the conversation was over. I supposed that I went too far. It felt big, but Cerelia clearly didn't want me to be a part of it. I tried to ignore my curiosity, allowing the walk home to be filled with silence.

We got home in a mere ten minutes, rather than the usual fifteen. It was probably due to Cerelia's extra long strides. Mom greets us at the door, having just gotten home herself. "Oh, how was your school day?" It was an open question, I nodded and replied with a "fine", even though I knew it wasn't exactly directed at me. Mom stared at Cerelia expectantly, prompting her to no hurriedly.

"Yeah, s'all good. I'm going upstairs. No interruptions, please." She practically bounded up the stairs, but before she could slam her door shut, Mom interrupted her. "Are you okay, dear? You haven't been bullied, have you?" While it may have seemed laughable that someone could bully someone so popular, such a thing had happened before. Sometimes, people were even more jealous than me, and would try to deal with it in a worse way, by harassing her. I did as much as I could to prevent that, mostly just identifying the perpetrators and outing them. This time though, I was certain that bullying was not the cause of strangeness.

"No, no, nothing like that. I'm just... working on finishing the special project that I've been doing in my spare time. It's really delicate, so I don't want anyone barging into my room." Mom smiled in understanding, and Cerelia continued to her room, locking the door behind her with a soft click.

So that's what it was. Cerelia's mystery project. No one else knew what it was, only that it started about half a year ago, and it was the reason for various spontaneous trips to places, and the new small dresser that I wasn't allowed to look through. Considering the amount of time she'd been absorbed in secret things recently, I supposed it did make sense that she would be so excited for its completion.

I had a feeling that it was something to do with her Naruto Anime. Whenever the secret project came up in conversation, she always deflected by talking about Naruto. I didn't know a whole lot about the Anime, blocking out most of her talks about "head canons". It wasn't that I couldn't appreciate a good manga or Anime After all, I was a regular reader of One Piece. It was the extent to which she was involved that I could not comprehend.

Still, the only thing that came to my mind as far as secret Naruto projects went was a large scale art piece of some kind. Maybe a life size sculpture, or a wall sized mural? Cerelia was very good at art, she could probably pull either off.

Curiosity somewhat settled, I decided to leave it alone, and prepared an afternoon snack to eat in the living room. I snagged a mystery novel off the shelf, I was about halfway through my second reading of the book. It was enjoyable before, and still fun now, even when I knew how it was going to end.

In fact, it was interesting enough that I ended up near the final climax of the story before I was interrupted by Mom asking for the table to be set. I put the book down, and walked to the kitchen. We were having chicken and rice, so it did not take much time to get the plates and utensils and condiments out. I sat down at my seat, but refrained from serving myself. We didn't eat until everyone was present.

"Supper's ready!" Mom called to Cerelia. We waited in silence for several moments. "I think her door is still closed." I pointed out. Mom nodded. "Yes, she probably can't hear me from here. Aurora, can you please let your sister know that the food is ready?" I agreed, making my way up to Cerelia's room again.

I knocked on the door. "Cere, dinner is ready!", I called. There is still no response. "Hey, can you hear me?" I knocked again. I put an ear up against the door. There was a dull noise from inside, like Cerelia was speaking at a constant monotone. Whatever it was, she was not paying attention to anything else. If I wanted supper, something had to be done. I tried the door- still locked. Luckily, it was a safety lock, one that had a slot on the outside knob that could be unlocked by sticking a coin or thin piece of plastic in the slot and turning.

I rummaged around my pocket, coming up lucky with a quarter. The lock clicked open easily with a twist of my wrist, and I opened the door quietly. I wanted to see what had Cerelia so single minded for so long. Just what was this secret project?

Creeping into the room, the first thing I am struck by is the mess on her floor. Most of the floor space is covered by big white Bristol boards taped together. There was some circular design painted neatly over all of the boards, extremely intricate and reminiscent of the alchemy circles from Full Metal Alchemist. Surrounding the boards and circular pattern were lit candles and plant pits. It looked like a cult-magic scene taken right from a movie. Adding to the mess was a similar taping of Bristol boards on the ceiling, barely sticking together. There was another circle painting, although it looked much different. While the one on the floor had many shapes and lines, with symbols a symmetrical points, the ceiling circle was composed almost entirely of strange symbols, spiraling out from the center.

It was really a sight to take in. I just stood there for a moment with my mouth wide open. Numbly, I close the door behind me. Finally, I look towards Cerelia, in the middle of it all. She was standing in the center of the circle, back to me. The noise I had identified earlier was indeed her talking in a very monotonous voice. I did not recognize the language at all, and considering the surroundings, it sounded much like chanting a spell. I sat there, entranced as she continued to speak.

She then started to move, still chanting. There was a bag in one hand and a knife in the other. At one point on the outer circle, she took the bag and sprinkled some of the contents- a black powder of some kind- on the floor. I could have sworn that the black paint glowed for a moment. She walked to five other points on the circle, sprinkling the substance and speaking in that strange language the whole time. She didn't glance up to see me in the doorway, and for that I was glad. My original quest was forgotten in favour of watching this barely conceivable event. I felt like I was hallucinating, as the paint definitely glowed that time as she dumped the last of the powder on the fifth point and walked to the middle of the circle.

I couldn't explain it, but the whole thing felt terrifying as well as magnetic. I couldn't pull myself away, but at the same time I felt an unexplainable nervousness that went beyond confusion. That was why, when Cerelia took the knife out this time, I knew that nothing good could be happening. I stepped into the circle without thinking. She pressed the knife against the side of her hand, and I gasped as she drew blood. Finally, I was pulled out of my shock enough to speak.

"W-what the heck!? Cere, what are you doing?" I practically screamed in panic, snatching the slightly bloody knife. Cerelia finally turned from her lightly scratched hand, and flinched back as she saw me.

"Aura, what are you doing here!? Get out!" She looked nearly as panicked as I was, and for whatever reason, shook her cut hand, throwing tiny droplets of blood onto her detailed paint circle. It flashed a bright white for a moment, distracting me.

"Not until you tell me what this is! Are you trying to cast some kind of magic?" I exclaimed, gesturing wildly. My hands clenched tightly, I barely felt the sharpness of the knife in my left hand. My heartbeat was pounding, something innate sense alerting me that this was to be feared.

"It's not about you! This is my dream!" Cerelia shouted, clearly she was also agitated by whatever was going on.

"You're not making sense at all! What dream?" I froze as the circle patterns began to glow steadily.

"There's no time to explain! Get out of here before the spell rips you apart! It's going to take me where I belong!" I brought my hands in front of me as Cerelia advanced, knife falling to the ground. It caused the runes to flicker, and then double in strength.

"Cerelia, just make this thing stop! What do you mean, it's going to take you?"

"Ugh!" Cerelia growled. "There's no stopping this, I'm going to the Naruto world, and there's nothing you can do about it. The spell already accepted my blood, even if I wanted to stop! Now get out of here before you're killed!" She pushed me roughly toward the edge of the circle, I was too frightened and bewildered to attempt overpowering her. A whining noise sprung up, but I barely noticed it.

With one final shove, Cerelia pushes me out of the circle. Or, she tries to. I felt myself hitting a wall of something, almost like solid energy. It stung where I touched it, and pushed me back into my sister.

"Wha-?" I looked behind me. There's nothing at the edge of the circle that could keep me in. Cerelia screeched, pitch high with panic. "Aurora, what did you do!? Did you cut yourself?" I wanted to say that I didn't think so, but my stomach lurched. The paint circles were doing something strange now. I felt like I was seeing double, as if the glow was leaping out of the paint and spinning around us. Cerelia was also struck by something, she immediately stumbled, just catching herself.

The room began to spin along with the circles. I was overtaken by an unimaginable fear. The colour seemed to drain from the room, and in my panic, I latched onto Cerelia. A slow stretching sensation took over my body, starting at the tips of my fingers, following through to my torso. I tried to breathe- it was more like a gasp. The feeling pulled stronger, stretching me like I was in a medieval torture machine. The room began to fade out, and I screamed. I could barely hear it now, but Cerelia screamed too. The whining had increased to a full blown screeching, high pitched like nails on a chalkboard. My eyes squeezed shut as the pain increased. All my senses were on fire, until the only not painful thing I could feel was my sister as we both held each other.

Somehow, even through all the pain and darkness and confusion, I knew the very moment our bodies moved. I couldn't comprehend the feeling, it was the same feeling that old me to fear this. At that moment, we no longer existed in our universe.

In an instant, we were gone.

* * *

Just a rewrite of the first chapter. I feel that the first several chapters are not really at my current skill level, however it would be too much work to rewrite everything. The first chapter was just really suffering the age old problem of telling rather than showing. I hope this is a good improvement- it's a bit longer though. The original first chapter was rather hasty, I wanted to get to the action fast, and lay down everything in three pages. I hope this does a better job as a pilot chapter.


	2. Hell

The next few moments were pure torture. I moved my lips, but I couldn't speak. I couldn't hear anything over the screeching noise that really couldn't be compared to anything I have ever heard before. I was completely blind, not even able to see my sister, whom I was clinging to like my life depended on it. It probably did.

The only thing going through my head was, What's happening! I want to know! I need to know! Am I going to die? Help me, I don't know what's going on!

What is Cere thinking? How did she accomplish this witchcraft? I have never been so lost before!

Can't I at least have my questions answered, before I die!

I felt a sharp tug in my chest, and I held Cere closer. The roaring was getting louder, and instead of that dreadful stretching, I felt like my body was being pressed in a vice. It hurt just as much, if not worse than the pulling.

Pressure, coming in from all sides! I coughed, if there had been any air in my lungs, it would have been squeezed out. I'm sure this is how it feels in the bottom of the ocean, it's unbearable! Tears sprang from my eyes.

Through the blur of water on my eyelids, I saw light. I can see again! A spinning light all around me, getting brighter each passing moment. I could see my sister now, her eyes were clenched in pain. The pressure let up just enough for me to take a much needed breath of air.

"C-c-cere..." I croaked, to my surprise I could hear myself! The howling gale faded out, my eardrums were pounding in pain. Cerelia looked up, eyes snapping open as she also felt the pain lessening. She gulped air hungrily, there was wetness on her cheeks too.

The spinning slowed down, and finally ceased. I felt ground beneath my feet finally, and having no strength left, both of us crumpled under the renewed gravity. My body shook with aching pain. I welcomed the darkness this time, as it was a pain relieving sleep instead.

* * *

I awoke to the smell of food cooking. I could hear birds chirping, and I could feel the earth under me, instead of the comfy bed I was expecting. Where the heck am I...?

_Oh, shit! _My eyes snapped open as I sat up quickly. The events leading up to this point crashed through my head. Cere acting weird, me going up to check on her, finding her magic circle and getting trapped in it when I tried to get her out of it. Then that horrible void, the stretching, the screaming, the compressing. My body shivered in memory of the pain.

"Aurora, you're awake! I just woke up around half an hour ago." My head turned to her. She was kneeling over a fire she had created. I wonder why though, it wasn't that cold.

"Here, eat this." She handed me the sausage she had been cooking. Wait, we're in the middle of a forest, how'd she get sausages? I glanced over and saw her backpack, it was filled with various camping supplies. Noticing how hungry I was, I accepted the food and devoured it. I watched her douse the fire after eating her portion.

"Cerelia." She turned to me as I voiced her name. I gave her a hard stare, she knew what I was going to ask.

"Where are we? And how did we get here from your room? I need you to tell me everything." She gulped, a flash of guilt present in her eyes.

"If the jutsu worked properly, we should be in the world of Naruto. You know, that anime with the ninja's that I watch."

"Hey, I know what 'Naruto' is! You only talk about it all the time. Naruto's the kid with a demon fox, and he's rivals with that emo guy... starts with an 's'... who is his friend and then betrays everyone. Then there's Sakura with the pink hair, who follows 'S' around all the time. Oh, and then there's a time skip, and then those Akatsuki people you like show up. That's pretty much what I know."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess that sums it up well enough. Basically, I found a way to transport myself to this universe. I spent months, getting all the ingredients, and doing prep spells. The jutsu works by transporting anyone who is both inside the circle I drew, and has their blood spilled on the runes.

"You weren't supposed to be brought along, but when you took the knife from me, you must have cut yourself a little. When you dropped the knife, the blood must have mixed into it at the last second. I had a goodbye note out, and the circle and the candles and everything would have disappeared without a trace. No one would have known exactly where I was off to. I was supposed to appear within sight of Konoha as well, I wrote it in the circle, but you coming into it at the last second must have knocked it off balance."

I shook my head, not paying much attention to her. "Cere, how do we get back home?" I said in a shaking voice.

She gave me another guilty look. "I'm sorry, Aura. There's no way back. This world is my dream come true! Right from the start, I was prepared to leave our old world behind. It would have been perfect if you didn't get stuck in this. I know this isn't your dream though, and for that I'm sorry."

Before I could stop myself, tears started forming. I knew Cerelia always took her perfect life for granted, but wanting to abandon it entirely for a fantasy world?

"How could you, Cere? Your life was already a dream come true! You literally had the perfect life! Why would you want to throw it away for the chance to live an anime!"

She looked down. "How could you say 'perfect'? No one understands me! I had no real friends, everyone was jealous of my abilities! Mom and Dad just couldn't let me live life the way I wanted! And don't think I don't know how they treated you once they realized I was a prodigy! I thought, maybe if I was gone, they'd actually recognize you as a person. Maybe my "friends" would form some real friendships. Maybe some other kid who actually worked hard for it would win those competitions!"

My eyes widened in shock. She really had to deal with all of that? I felt a twinge of pity. But that still doesn't excuse this.

" You could have resolved those things, instead of practically committing suicide! I thought you were a genius!" I shouted, more than a little angry now.

Cerelia looked back up with angry eyes. "Maybe. But this world is where I truly belong. You can never understand, after all I'm sure you never wanted to be in the world of One Piece. To you, an imaginary world is just something to be entertained by every so often. But to me, it really is its own world, and from when I first started watching it, I knew it called out to me."

I closed my eyes, full of anger and tears.

"Aurora, please let it go. Even if there was a way back home, I wouldn't take it. I feel really guilty that you have to be here, and I really don't want to have to carry your dead weight around, but I can't just abandon you now. We're going to get moving, I'm going to try and find out where Konoha is, and your going to follow me."

I sighed. There's no way I can let go just yet. I need more time to deal with all of this. I'm never going to see our parents again. I'm never going to go to school again, and I'm never going to get to highschool, make friends, graduate, get a job, or any kind of future that I thought I would get.

It will take a while to understand how Cere could possibly not miss any of that, but for now I'll just have to follow her lead. Maybe if we travel to this Konoha place, I can find a semi-normal job and just make the best of it.

"Right" I agreed, choosing to ignore her sudden bossiness. After all, she knows far more about our current predicament than I do.

"Wait, how do you even know if we managed to get to the Naruto world? As far as I can tell, we might as well be in any old forest in our own world" I mentioned hopefully as we started moving. Cerelia snorted.

"Because, Aura, I certainly wouldn't be able to do this in our world" She put her hands together, in three different positions, her eyes closed in concentration. Suddenly I heard a whoosh of air, and a cloudy wisp of smoke swirled around in front of her.

"What the.." I gasped. Right in front of us stood a copy of Cerelia! It wasn't perfect, the skin was a murky gray, the hair colour was pure red, and the clone had differently shaped eyes and clothes. But it was still recognizable as Cere.

"It's called the clone technique. It's the easiest jutsu I know of, and I can't even do it right, so I'm kind of disappointed I guess it's to be expected, since I haven't ever had chakra before.

"Wait wait wait! What's chakra again? And what the heck are jutsus? How did you do that?" Cere just smacked her palm to her forehead, and rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you're related to me." She grumbled, and motioned for me to get walking again.

"Okay, I'm going to have to explain a lot to you, so it won't seem like you were born yesterday."

I walked on in silence, paying rapt attention to my knowledgeable sister.

* * *

After what seemed like forever, walking along that winding dirt path, Cere finally finished drilling me on the basics. We both agreed that I didn't really need to know about the characters, seeing as they are real people now, and it wouldn't be as easy to hide secrets if we both knew them.

When she explained the concept of chakra, and the different hand seals required to use jutsus, I was a little curious to trying it out. She expressed doubt though.

"I'm not sure if you have the ability to use chakra. There are a lot of civilians who can't use their chakra, and I didn't write any specifications into the rune for you."

"What do you mean 'specifications'" I asked. She grinned.

"Well, if I was going to come over here, I had to make sure I'd be able to actually be a ninja. That's what the circle on the ceiling was for. We only needed the bottom one for transportation. The one on the ceiling carried information for our conditions."

"I kinda get it. What are all the conditions that you put up there?"

Cere looked deep in thought. "Well, one of them was to appear near Konoha, at first I thought the reason we aren't is because you threw it off, but now I think I forgot to specify exactly how close. We're probably close for a ninja, but an awful long walk for normal people."

She held her hand to to count off the details. "The second one was that I would have large chakra reserves, so I can train faster, and catch up in ability to everyone else in the story. Another was, as I already said, to be able to use my chakra.

"Let's see... the fourth one was to be brought to the point in time exactly one year before the main characters graduate the academy. It's also so I can catch up, maybe even surpass them. The fifth was to exchange my first language with Japanese, the only language in this universe so far. The last was to give me a kekkei genkai. To pick which one I had to concentrate on it while going through the portal, so I know you didn't get one."

That's right, all I could think about at the time was how much I wanted to know what was happening. Have I really been speaking Japanese this whole time? I thought about the words, they came so naturally. Huh, I am speaking Japanese If we get back home, I hope this all reverses, I wouldn't want to relearn English. My thoughts turned back to Cere's last modification.

"What did you pick?" I asked, a little curious.

"I picked one I created myself. It was the one I put on my Naruto Original Character. It lets me manipulate all the elements without chakra or hand seals, like Aang from Avatar. It also lets me use all the element types and combinations in my jutsus. When I use it, my eyes will glow and become the color of the element I'm using! Isn't it cool?"

I nodded. "Sounds pretty useful. What do you call it?"

" I was thinking Choma, it's Greek for soil and earth, I think it fits because it's for controlling the elements that come from earth, and my name is Greek too. It's gonna be so awesome, too bad I can't figure out how to activate it yet."

I mulled that over for a while. Looks like my sister is going to be even more special. I wonder though, if she had a problem with being talented back home, why did she go to such lengths to make herself stand out here?

"Why is it so important to catch up in skill to the main characters, anyway?" I know if I ended up in the world of One Piece, I'd try to stay as far away from the Straw Hat pirates as possible, for fear of messing the storyline up, or my secret getting out. I would also run the risk of being like a mary sue self insert fanfiction, much like this is looking like. In fact, I bet if I wasn't here, this would be exactly that. Too bad it's far too real for any fanfiction.

"Duh! So I can fix the story! So many bad things happen, and with my knowledge and eventual skill, I can stop it! The most important thing to do is prevent Sasuke from defecting. He's, like, the best character! I'll make sure he doesn't go to Orochimaru, and maybe he'll even fall for me..."

Cere blushed, and I groaned. She was looking much like Sakura, who she claimed she hated with a passion. Along with a chick called Ino, though I don't know a thing about her.

"Oh, and I also have to get Hinata and Naruto together, it's my duty as a NaruHina fan! I'll forever be able to stick it in the faces of NaruSaku fans, uggh! Sakura shouldn't be paired with anybody! She's an ugly bitch, especially in the first part."

"Okay, Cere, I think that's enough. You can't just go around talking bad about people like you did at home. They're real humans now, not characters." Cerelia let out a moan of annoyance.

We had been walking along the dirt path for a while now. "Do you know how close we are to Konoha now?" I asked, my legs feeling exhausted by walking for hours.

"Now would actually be a good time to check. When I first woke up, I climbed a tree to see which way to go. There was only a cliff face in this direction, and I know Konoha is set into the side of one, so this way seemed most likely. I figure the path is either going to lead straight there or converge on another path, but we might as well find out how much longer."

"'kay, do you mind if I lie down for a bit? I'm getting tired." I sat down, leaning on a nearby tree. Cerelia shrugged and nodded, picking another tree with low branches to scramble up.

"I'll be a while, these trees are huge and without chakra they take forever to climb." With that statement, she gracefully pulled herself up onto a higher branch and disappeared among the dense foliage.

I stretched and sighed. All of this is happening too fast. Heck, just a day ago (I think, I really don't know how long we were out) I was wallowing in disgusting self pity as usual, thinking that the worst thing to happen was being in my sister's humongous shadow.

How about being transported to the world of a shonen manga? Especially one I don't even read, or watch as an anime? How about being considered 'dead weight' by your sister who orchestrated this whole event, but didn't count on you being there? How about never seeing your parents again..?

I sniffled a little, wiping a few tears away. It's not like they died. But they might as well have, it would create the same effect. I let out a quiet sob before composing myself. There will be time later to mourn, for now I need to be strong.

I know something that can distract me! I can find out whether or not I have chakra. I admit I kinda want it. I don't really want to become a shinobi or kunoichi, whatever Cere said, but it would be useful to have, just in case I end up attacked. I have to admit magic ninja powers are pretty cool.

Now how do I do that clone thing again? She said it was the easiest jutsu to do... Let's see, there were three hand seals Crap, Cere told me all of them, but how am I supposed to remember?

I put my hands into different positions to jog my memory. Right, the second one was 'snake'. I thought back harder. Oh yeah, it was ram, snake, then tiger. I carefully put my hands into each of the three positions, to get the hang of it.

"Ram, snake, tiger, I think I got it." After I could do the three positions in quick succession, I thought about the next step. Cere never really explained it. All she told me was that I probably don't have usable chakra. I wonder if concentrating will do anything.

I went through the seals, trying to clear my mind, and concentrate on the movements of my hands. Nothing happened. I didn't feel anything! Maybe I don't have chakra...

No, I want to have chakra! If I don't have it, it will be yet another thing that makes Cere better than me.

Come on. Magic ninja power! Work!

I cycled through the three hand positions, chanting in my head for it to work. Nothing was happening though! I banged my head against the tree in anger. I need to find another plan. How did she say chakra worked again? The mixture of two energies, physical energy and spiritual energy. Maybe I need to actually do that first.

I went through the seals again, this time keeping in mind the two different energies. Nothing happened, but I think I felt something stir in my body. It's really hard to explain, but I think it might be my chakra! I tried the seals, tensing up in my need to accomplish this task. Come on, chakra! Mix!

Nothing happened that time, either. However, I felt the twinge again, so I know I'm onto something. I don't really know why I want to have chakra so bad, I guess I just really don't want to fall even further behind Cerelia.

So I didn't give up. I kept trying, and kept getting zero results. That is, until my sister came back down the tree.

"What are you doing, Aura? Are you... trying to do the clone technique?" She asked in shock. I jumped in surprise. Cere swing down from her branch to stand in front of me. "I don't think you're able to do that. Even if the details I wrote in also applied to you, I'm not sure you have enough drive. Besides, why would you even want to use chakra anyways?"

I didn't show it, but her words sliced into me. Even my sister sees how useless I am, unable to measure up to her in any way. Wait, no! No self pity for you! I won't let her always be the special one, the one with all the luck, the one that the world seems to revolve around.

" Come on Aurora, let's stop wasting time. I'm pretty sure I saw Konoha in the distance. We can make it there in a few more hours."

I ignored her, and channeled all my anger to my hands, furiously completing the ram, the snake, then finally the tiger hand seal. I won't let her win!

_Poof!_

I saw a smoke plume circle around the spot directly in front of me. When it cleared, I saw...

A dummy. At least, that's what it looked like. It was pure white, and roughly outlined the shape of a human being. I think I saw a few black hairs on it's faceless head. The fact that it didn't even look like a person, let alone a clone of me was irrelevant. I can use chakra!

I jumped up in victory, and the movement made the clone disappear. "Ha, look at that, Cere! I can do it too! Woohoo!" I sang.

She looked at me skeptically. "I guess you can. One can hardly call that a success. I did better than that on the first try. And that doesn't even explain why you want to use chakra." She motioned for us to walk while we talk.

I shook my head, picking up the pace. "I may not want to be here, and I may know nothing about this world, but magical ninja powers? Of course I'd want something cool like that if I'm stuck here anyway. If you were in the One Piece world, I bet you'd want a devil fruit, or some similarly cool ability."

She smiled gently. "It is pretty cool, isn't it? Maybe when we get to Konoha, you'll wanna be a kunoichi too. Then again, you would never want to be one like I do. I wouldn't stop you if you did though."

That made me think a little. Me, a ninja? Hardly. First there's the money issue. How can we afford anything if we both go to ninja school all day? And then there's the fact that I would be forced to be under my sister's shadow in a school setting, the one thing I hope to avoid, seeing as we are in a different universe.

I don't think I can take it much longer, to be honest. That's why I had plans to enroll at a different highschool. It is a law of nature that Cerelia will always, always be better at me than everything and anything, except for singing. Maybe in this world, I could escape that. The rule would still be in place, but hopefully while she's off doing her ninja thing I can be in a position where the rule doesn't affect me so much.

I think that must be the real reason I don't want to be a ninja. If we have to be in a new world, then I want a new start. To stop worrying about my inferiority complex. To get away from it all. If it wasn't for my jealousy issues, I might have even wanted to try it out. It sounds so exhilarating. Of course, ninja have to kill people a lot, but if I were a ninja, I'd only kill people who'd kill others if I didn't stop them.

Not counting the moral dilemmas, the shinobi lifestyle sounds so... free. Unfortunately, it would never be free for me with Cere being there. I can see it now. As we walked along the path, my mind faded out to a daydream.

_We're on a team. The mission is to rescue kidnapped children from rouge ninja. I'm the first one there, I rush in to fight the shinobi. But they're strong! I'm struggling, trying my hardest, maybe even winning. Suddenly, in a whoosh of air, my sister comes in to save the day!_

_All the ninja are immediately knocked out by her elemental powers. "Are you okay, Aurora? I was waiting the whole time, to give you a chance, but it looked like you were having trouble, so I decided to step in."_

_I nod, unsure of myself. Our other teammate catches up. "Good job, Cerelia! I'll tie them up and get them to Konoha for their trial. We make great partners, you and I!" _

"_Um, I'm also on this team", I mutter._

"_Did you hear something" Our teammate asked Cere. "Oh, just a bug." Cerelia answered cheerfully. _

"_Hey, I'm not a bug! I was trying to fight the ninja too..." I protested, turning to the children for confirmation. "You saw me!"_

_One of them spoke up. "Yah, we saw you, but you didn't do anything useful. Cerelia would have saved us anyway. You're useless."_

"_Useless..?" I repeated, feeling more and more desolate by the minute. _

"_Are you okay, Aurora? I still think you should give up the ninja trade. You aren't suited for it. And I'm tired of covering it up. You're not exactly a necessary part of this team."_

_Our teammate shook her head in confusion. "What are you talking too, Cere? What team? It's just the two of us!"_

_I turned to him. "What, don't you know me? We've been on the same team since graduation!" But to my horror, I looked down to see myself fading out. _

_My sister turned to me, I know she can still see me. She smirked. " You're right. Just the two of us... and a little helpless fly, who's soon to disappear." She turned her back to me._

"_Wait, Cere! You don't actually think of me like that, do you?" But this time I was ignored by her as well. The kids, Cere, and her partner walked off into the sunset, and I turned completely see through, a ghost cursed to follow my sister as she conquered the world._

Coming out of the waking dream, I shivered and gasped. Cere turned to me, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay, Aura?"

"No, I'm fine. Just a daydream." I softly spoke. It was just a daydream, it's not like Cere actually thinks of me like that. But the first part is probably a guarantee if I were to take up ninja training. I shivered again quietly. A regular job would be better after all, wouldn't it?

Maybe, just maybe, I can also search the libraries for a way to get back home! I can't believe that there is a way _to_ this world, and no way back. Cerelia doesn't know everything, as many like to believe. I can't give up hope, there needs to be a way.

If I give up the hope of getting back home, then I don't know how I'll be able to function at all. It's hard enough now, with the resolution of living as close to a normal life in our world as possible. Maybe it's denial. It probably is. Who in their right mind would be able to comprehend entering a different dimension in the first day waking up there? Not me, that's for sure.

Cere can. But she hardly counts in the realm of what's possible for normal humans.

"Hey! That must be Konoha up ahead!" Cerelia shouted excitedly. With awe in her voice, she whispered "I made it!"

Without warning, she started sprinting. "Woah, wait up!" I complained, running at my full speed to keep up with her. Cere was always a much faster runner, and with more stamina, so I had to slow down after a few moments.

Luckily it didn't matter as we reached a large gate, presumably the gates of Konoha. The guards soon came up to us.

"Can we see your forehead protectors?" One of them asked in a gruff voice. I looked at him in confusion. What was a forehead protector for, again..?

Cere immediately stepped in. "I'm sorry, we aren't ninja. Me and my sister just want to enter Konoha in peace." Oh yeah, it's the identification thing for ninjas. The guard raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Bullshit, if you weren't ninjas, you wouldn't have genin-sized chakra levels. You could have at least tried to suppress it." I squinted in confusion. How do you tell someone's chakra levels? And did he include me?

"I know I have a lot of chakra for a civilian, but . That's why we want to come here, so I can become a kunoichi." She explained softly, trying to appease the doubtful guard.

"Hmph, yeah right. Like I'd let you in, poor excuses for a spy. You'd think other hidden villages would at least respect us enough to not send half-witted genins as spies, probably fresh out the academy."

Cere was beginning to get frustrated. "I told you, we aren't spies! Please, just let us through!" she tried to push past him, but the other guard was up in a flash, and pushed her back into me.

"Enough. Without your forehead protector, you are not getting access to Konoha. Now leave, before we take this as a sign of hostility."

Cerelia gasped in horror at their steely gazes, and I felt am ice cold shiver travel down my spine. This is what the real world is like, of course a ninja village would be paranoid about two people without any kind of identification, and one with ninja-like chakra reserves?

Wait, did he include me when he was talking about chakra levels? He did talk with plurals. I smirked internally. Too bad that's a bad thing right now. I pulled Cere away from the gates, she seemed dazed. I walked out of sight, and leaned against a tree.

"Now what, Cere?" I asked, with genuine curiosity. I figure she probably has some brilliant plan forming. After all, getting into Konoha is something she really wants. I have to admit, I kinda want to as well. It will mean not sleeping on the ground, I hope.

After a moment, Cerelia managed to snap out of her daze. Her face scrunched up in anger. "How dare he not let me in! I was telling the truth! Stupid guard, now I need to get in another way!" She fumed.

"Um, you know, it makes sense for him to turn us away. He has no way of knowing we were telling the truth. I don't know about their relationships are with other hidden villages, but I'm assuming shaky alliances at best. You can't blame him for that." I tried to reason with her. She calmed slightly.

"I guess you are right, Aurora. But I'm going to get in there, if it's the last thing I do! There are several options. I can try to unlock my Choma kekkei-genkai, and see if I can use it to sneak in. Or we can wait until someone relatively important comes out, and convince them to help us."

Pitching in my two cents, I added, "Don't you think sneaking in would be a really bad idea? They'd probably catch you because you don't know how to 'hide your chakra' or whatever, and then they'd be even more suspicious. You might end up in jail or something."

Cere looked at me, acknowledging my reasoning with sadness. But then her face morphed into one of thought.

"It could be forever until we find someone of enough importance, never mind one who will actually listen to us! I can't wait out here forever. The first plan is the only good one."

I panicked a little. "No way. Cere! We'll be caught for sure! And they'd never trust us again! We might get interrogated as spies or something. It's too risky, and you can't expect to escape the notice of trained shinobi, who are able to sense your very being."

She grinned at me, a spark of mischief in her eyes. "Not if you act as a distraction. If you can keep their attention, I'll sneak in, talk to the Hokage, and get him to let you in. It's perfect."

I shook my head vehemently. "No way. Even if that did miraculously work, there are too many holes. How would you even get to talk to the Hokage, never mind convince the guy to let me in. Heck, he might even throw us in jail himself! And before you tell me you know he's a good guy, he would put the safety of the village first." I ranted, trying to convince Cerelia to look for a different route.

She glared at me, about to retort when a voice interrupted her. "She's right, that plan is very unyouthful! What do you want in this youthful village, young maidens?" The owner of the enthusiastic voice came into view.

It took a second to take in his full appearance, almost as if his bright green spandex suit created a glare. He had the strangest hair, a shiny black bowl cut, accompanied by bushy, rectangle shaped eyebrows. He had the Konoha forehead protector around his waist. I looked over to my sister, her eye was twitching uncontrollably. He must be a character she doesn't like in the series.

Seeing as my sister was a little occupied, I decided to speak up first.

"Ah, um... We were just wanting to move to Konoha. You see, my sister really wishes to become a ninja. But, um, it seems that the guards at the gate though we were spies because of our chakra levels." I said quietly. I can't help it, but I actually am a very shy person when I'm near Cerelia, or talking about her. I think it must be an inferiority complex or something. All I know is that it makes me even more pathetic.

"Such youthful devotion! To seek training so much that you would even break in to get it!" He shouted loudly, twirling around, seemingly sparkling. I saw a glint in Cere's eyes, she gave me a look of thanks.

"Yes, I really really want to become a ninja! So if you could just let us talk to somebody who could let us get in the academy, I'd really appreciate it." Cerelia pleaded.

The man grinned, a sparkle shining in his teeth. "Of course! Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Might Guy, at your service!" He then paused for a second.

"Why have you waited till this age to pursue the shinobi arts? After all, most children graduate at your age." I could see that Cere was shocked that Guy would ask that question. Honestly, did she not think her beloved anime characters would not even be a little suspicious?

"Umm" I mumbled to get his attention. "Neither of us knew we had the chakra for being a ninja. I think one or both of our parents used to be shinobi and not told us, but... we'll never know now" I said sadly, using my very real grief at not being able to see my parents finish the lie. I looked down in shame.

I could tell he believed my story. He immediately went into a long speech about the perseverance of youth, before asking in curiosity, "Do you also want to be a ninja,youthful one?" He asked me. I took a step back in fear of his sudden invasion of personal space.

Before I could answer that I did not, Cere replied for me. "No, she's not really ninja material anyways. For some reason she'd rather have a normal, boring job and just settle down here. I, however, can't lead such a boring life!"

Guy nodded, pitching in, "Well, if you change your mind, don't worry about how little talent you may have! Hard work can make up for any lack of genius. Why, I have a very youthful student on my new genin team, who's going to become a great shinobi, even if he can't do anything but taijutsu! Truly a remarkable example of the flames of youth..." He began to ramble.

Eventually, Cerelia managed to interject his 'youthful' speech and we got back on track. "Right, you wanted to speak to the Hokage, and move into Konoha! What are your names, and ages?"

Grinning ear to ear at the impending success, Cere replied. "My name is Cerelia, and my sister is called Aurora. We're fraternal twins, 12 years old. Thank you for helping us." She spoke politely, which surprised me due to her earlier eye twitching and obvious dislike for him. I guess she realized he really is our best bet into this place.

"Right, Cerelia, Aurora, follow me!" He turned back onto the road. We scuttled after him, as he turned a bend in the road. We made our way back to the gate, where I saw the guards from before jump up in recognition. "Hey! Those girls could be spies, what are you doing!" Guy just smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm taking them to the Hokage. He'd definitely be able to tell who was a spy and who wasn't!" He contested enthusiastically. Unable to really protest, probably due to a difference in rank, they glared at me and Cere as we walked past them.

Of course, Cere couldn't help but turn and stick her tongue out at the easily offended guards. One turned red and started shouting, the other huffed and gave us the finger, turning a shoulder to the childish move. I just rolled my eyes and turned my head in front of me. The sight there astounded me.

"Welcome to Konoha, where the flames of youth rage strongly!"

* * *

A/N

I hope that was acceptable. I wanted a nice long chapter to give the sister's relationship more depth, and show how each of them feel about getting to this world. I hope you enjoy, please review if you do ^^


	3. Breathe

Konoha is really a beautiful place. Everything from the cobbled streets to the craggy mountain that resembled mount Rushmore, with it's carved faces, was incredibly scenic. As I walked farther into the heart of the village, I could almost feel the laid-back, old fashioned yet energetic atmosphere. Of course, I'm sure it's not old fashioned in this world.

I looked over at my sister. She looked about as excited as I expected. She was practically drooling in excitement. She had her eye trained on something in the distance. I could only keep looking at something for a moment before another thing caught my attention.

Guy apparently noticed my awed expression. "Stricken speechless at the captivating beauty of Konoha?" He inquired, giving another sparkling smile.

I hardly even noted his oddness, instead replying with a numb nod. He shouted something about youth again, but I wasn't listening now.

A few kids our age came out of nowhere. And I mean out of nowhere, I seriously could not see them coming. "Guy-sensei, where have you been?" One asked, who looked disturbingly like the man in question.

"Oh, Lee! I was just escorting these young ladies to the Hokage! I will be done shortly, so we can begin our training!"

This must be his 'genin' team. Genin are... new ninja, right? Oh yes, there's their headbands. The Guy-look alike, I guess his name is Lee, was wearing his around his waist. The other guy had long dark brown hair, tied at the end, with pupiless pale eyes. Is he blind? The last person was a girl. Her hair was a lighter brown, much shorter, and up in two buns. She looked pretty cheerful.

"Surely training your newly graduated genin team is more important than escorting two random civilians who can get there on their own." The pale eyed boy spoke in a deadpan voice. Well, that wasn't very nice. But still, he does have a point, we are taking up his teacher's time.

Not wanting to cause trouble, and feeling a little guilty, I bowed my head and apologized. "uhm, I'm sorry for wasting your training time. We'll try not to keep your teacher long.". My voice was quiet and shy, unfortunately, but I can't help it, not with Cerelia right there. The boy gave me a look of disgust. I frowned sadly at him. Does he hate me already?

"Do not fear! We will run twice as many laps to make up for the lost time! These girls are looking to move in here, but got a little trouble with the guards. I will meet you shortly!" He exclaimed in his commonly loud voice. I saw the pale eyed boy grimace at the volume. He gave us another glare and turned away.

Then, of course, my overly confident sister had to say something. "Don't you glare at us like that, emoface!" He turned back, irritation present in his face.

"Strong words for someone who isn't even a ninja." He stated calmly, albeit with an annoyed edge to it.

"Well, not for long! I'm gonna be a ninja soon, and then I'll kick your butt!" He snorted.

"If your fate was to be a kunoichi, you would have been one by now. You're not even enrolled."

Before Cerelia could say something else, probably nothing good, with those rage filled eyes, Guy intervened.

"Now Neji, you shouldn't discourage someone's dreams! We must be off now." He said, beckoning us to follow him as he began walking. The boy whose name is Neji turned to me.

"You want to be a ninja too? You remind me of my cousin, and she's definitely not suited to the shinobi lifestyle." He told me. I sighed in resignation. Of course I'm not suited to it. I don't even want to be a ninja anyways, so I can't let it bother me.

"I don't-" I began to reply, when Cere cut in. "Don't bother my sister, she'll never be a ninja. I'm the one you should watch out for!" I looked to the ground in shame. There Cere goes again, why do I even bother speaking in her presence? I think I saw his eyebrow raise before we were whisked out of sight, lest we lose sight of our guide.

Catching up to the spandex-wearing shinobi, I felt curious enough to ask a question. " Who are the faces on the mountain?" Cere smacked her head with the palm of her hand.

"Those are all the Hokage. The third Hokage, the current leader, is that face over there." He pointed it out, but I couldn't tell which one he was pointing at. Then I thought of something confusing.

"If the current Hokage is the third one, why are there four faces?" I asked, Cerelia smacked her forehead, louder this time. Hey, I can't help it if she didn't tell me about it!

Guy seemed to look a little sad for a moment. " The fourth Hokage died honorably, protecting our village from the nine tailed fox demon, 11 years ago. The third was reinstated as Hokage." He explained. I felt a little dumb now.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I mumbled.

"No problem! It is natural for the youthful to be curious!" I nodded uncertainly.

"Is that the Hokage tower?" Cere pointed out after we had been walking for a little while.

"Why yes, it is! That is where we'll be going! Follow me closely, if you're separated, you may not get to see him!" He announced, taking the advice, I inched closer. Cere grimaced and kept her distance. I guess she still doesn't like him. I wonder why? He's been very nice and helpful up until now.

Well, he is kind of odd, but that's besides the point.

There are a lot of ninja filtering in and out the tower, so I guess they go here for missions. Makes sense. We managed to filter through the crowd successfully I think it had less to do with luck and more to do with everyone else being a ninja. Kind of funny how easy it is to recognize the difference between ninja and civilians. Considering before I hadn't thought they existed.

Which brings me to a more important question. Do they truly exist? Were we brought to a separate dimension that is magically just like a story in our world? What are the chances of that anyway? The other option is that we were pulled into the story of the book, into a blank void that was constructed to be just like the Naruto series.

In that case, is any of this actually real, and happening?

If not, are we no longer real? Does coming into this world make us as fictional as the characters?

If we went into the story, does that mean we'll show up on the pages? Will we actually be a part of the story?

So many things confuse me, and all the options scare me. I think I'll just stay ignorant. I'm not sure I want to know the answer. Cere interrupted my heavy thinking with her elbow.

"Aura, pay attention. That's the Hokage." She whispered at me. As if a ninja wouldn't be able to hear it. Heeding her advice anyway, I straightened up and took note of my surroundings. Ah, I guess that old guy with the strange yet important looking hat would be the hokage. Hey, he does look like one of the faces! Older, though.

"So I heard you wanted to see me?" The old man asked kindly. I smiled in relief, he could be a lot more scary after all. The kages are the strongest ninja in their village, right? I still feel nervous though, I hope I don't have to speak much. As a precaution, I sidled back a bit, behind my sister who was more than willing to speak for the two of us.

"Yes, we want to become permanent residents of Konoha, and I want to enroll at the academy. I don't know if you deal with these matters personally, or have someone else who takes care of it, so I figured we should just go to you instead."

I saw him raise an eyebrow. "Most people start ninja training when they are 6. It is unheard of for someone to start so late."

"I know that, but I've always wanted to be a ninja, I just never got the chance to go for it. I know a lot about ninja, I just can't do jutsus too well. Maybe I can just take a written test, and get placed into the last year at the academy?"

The third Hokage paused for a second. "Yes, that is possible, but I can't just let any random person suddenly enter the village and enroll at the academy. After all, you could be a spy. Normally, I'd send you to the interrogation branch, don't worry, not the torture kind, but since you're here anyway, I'll just do it."

Oh great. We never did agree on a cover story. Cere better be as truthful as possible, I bet ninja can smell lies. It seems she realized that however, as her answers were both technically true and also misleading.

Our story is as follows: We grew up in a village really far away from here, and didn't know we had usable chakra. Cere always wanted to be a ninja, and learned all about them since she didn't know she could be one herself. Our parents were always uninterested in the subject.

Then, one day, Cere realized that she had chakra that she could use. She planned to run away on her own, but I got discovered her plan and tried to stop her. That same day, we were separated from our parents, and soon realized they were no longer with us. They are, we hope, in a more peaceful world now.

I guess Cere really thought this through. The Hokage seemed somewhat convinced. I think he can tell that there are things left out. Maybe he doesn't care, or maybe he knows that the secrets we have aren't going to be harmful to the village, and that we bear no ill will, because he agreed to let us become Konoha citizens, and for Cere to enroll.

We would get an apartment, and the rent would be withheld until we can find a way to get money. We also got a map of the village, it was huge after all. We also got a whole bunch of paperwork to fill out. He told us to do it right now, because it would end up in his hands anyway. It was pretty easy to answer most of it, actually.

When we were filling it out, he spoke to me. "So, why don't you want to be a ninja as well? You have just as much chakra as your sister, you would certainly be able to enroll." I glanced up timidly, unsure of how to answer. I turned to my sister, who has answered this question for me ever since we got here. Cere was strangely silent, knowing that I had to answer on my own this time.

I sighed and gave her one last pleading look. She shook her head slightly. Damn it, the one time I want her to speak for me, she doesn't! I guess I have to do something.

Trying to dredge up an answer of some sort, I went with complete honesty. "Oh, um, I've never given it a lot of thought. I'd probably be a terrible ninja, and it's a very dangerous occupation." I began. Then, I thought about it some more. Ninja are a lot like soldiers in our world, aren't they?

"It's not all fun and games, isn't it? I'd have to kill other people who may not have done anything directly to me, just because it is a mission. Not to mention if a war breaks out, I would have to participate, and I don't need to be a genius to know that wars are often gruesome and inhumane. If you become a ninja, you can't just back out, either. It's a life-long commitment, and likely to make your life shorter." Now that I think about it, this whole shinobi business is pretty grim. The reasons just keep piling up in my mind.

"Those ninja forehead protectors aren't just proof of graduation, they represent your absolute loyalty to your village, that you would protect and serve the village with your life. It is a very serious, and life-changing decision. I just don't know if I would make enough of a difference for the sacrifice to be worth it. It would surely be better just to leave it to who will definitely make a difference."

I ended it with my original reason. Cere would definitely make a difference, and I certainly wouldn't. So why not just let her do her thing, and not spend so much time training just to make a fool to myself? I slowly raised my eyes to the senior man in front of me, for my eyes had strayed to my feet during the miniature speech. He actually looked a little... surprised? Why, it's true, isn't it?

"Well, it seems you have given it thought. You do describe the life of a ninja well for someone who supposedly doesn't know anything about them. I'm sure you would make a fine kunoichi if you gave it the chance, you already understand what it means to be a ninja, something many don't really get until they make their first kill."

I blushed at the compliment, not used to anyone saying anything about me being special, especially when standing right beside Cerelia. My eyes went back to the floor like a magnet as I mumbled my next sentence as quietly as I could.

"uum, t-thanks, but I really couldn't ever be a ninja. I can't reliably do even the easiest jutsu, and my reflexes are just terrible. I'm not cut out to be a ninja, even if I wanted to." When I said this, I felt my gaze gravitate to my sister for a split second, the one who's mentioned those last words several times before.. She seemed almost relieved at my last sentence.

The third Hokage sighed. "Very well, how about you mull it over for a while. I'll put you on the class roster for next week. If you change your mind, you can show up with your sister. If not, then no harm done."

I gave a nod, that sounds reasonable, even if I'm not going to change my mind.

After that was sorted out, it took no time to hand in our paperwork, the hokage to sign it, and for it to be placed in some random drawer. Then we got instructions on where to go, and an official looking document for the owner of the apartments, so we could get our house. We also got a small sum of money to start us off.

As we walked out of the tower, Cerelia was practically skipping. I smiled at her antics. At least one person here was excited. I, on the other hand, had more pressing matters to think about. I'm not sure about the ryo currency here, but the Hokage did say it was only enough for some cheaper clothes and food for a week. Knowing Cere's shopping habits, I'll need to find a job in the next two days. Preferably a full time one, since I know Cere's not getting a part time to help me out. She never did like normal jobs.

As soon as we found the apartments, and the mess with the landowner got sorted out ( he was really unsure of the authenticity of the document. Took at least half an hour to convince him!) We got out keys and entered the apartment.

It looked kind of... dingy. I guess it makes sense that we wouldn't be given a super awesome apartment. After all, this whole place is free until I get enough income to pay for it. The apartment was also annoyingly small. Again, to be expected, but it might be a problem since there are two of us.

"I call the bed!" Cere exclaimed, running into the separate room and leaping onto the single sized bed. I groaned. The other thing is that this apartment is barren. It has almost no furniture. The only things it has in the main room are a table, one chair, and kitchen appliances like a stove, microwave, fridge, and sink. The other half of the main room was obviously meant to be a living room of some sort, though now it was just empty space.

A door on the right held a bathroom, with all the necessities luckily. The door on the left had the bedroom with its one small bed and a few blankets. There was one more door across from the one leading back to the hallways. It was a sliding door, and a balcony was on the other side of it. Our apartment was on the fourth and top floor, so it did give a nice view.

As I was checking out our new living quarters, I kept hearing a mysterious, quiet thumps. My good hearing was one of the very few things I could be proud of, though it never was all that useful. When I asked Cere about it, she just shrugged. "I hear it too, it's probably nothing important."

When I heard the quiet thump once more, I decided to check it out, walking out to the balcony, I looked upwards. Sure enough, there was a stream of ninja continuously leaping across our roof. We must be under one of the main crossroads of the ninja highway, because not all the roofs had this many ninja running across it.

When a tiny thump sounded yet again, it was from one of the younger ninja landing, not being quite as silent as the more experienced ones. No wonder we were given this room. The landowner hates us, now we know why he looked so smug when he gave us this room.

"Well, that's one mystery solved. It might be hard to get to sleep here, though." I said, turning to Cerelia. She hadn't heard me. She was looking at the leaping ninja with wonder in her eyes. "That's going to be me" She breathed, smiling from ear to ear. Finally ripping her head from the view, she looked back at me.

" I know I said this before, but it's just setting in right now. I can't believe I did it. I'm finally living my dream. I'm really going to be a ninja! I'm so happy I could cry! I know it's sad that mom and dad can't be here, but things are finally looking up. I'm going to have the adventure of a lifetime!" She exclaimed, eyes shining with joy.

To me though, every word she said stung. Tears pricked at my eyes. This once I want to say my feelings.

"You're right, congratulations. At least you're getting what you want. That's all that matters apparently, never mind that we're never going to see mom and dad again. Am I the only one who cares about that?" I replied bitterly.

"I do care! Didn't I say it was sad? But the thing is, this is worth it! It shouldn't make a huge difference to you, either. You can still get a normal boring job, and lead a normal boring life. Stop moping and just be happy that you were given a chance to even live in this exciting world! If that's not enough, then can't you just be happy for me? This is everything I wanted!" She ranted to me. I couldn't help it, the tears kept flowing.

"Maybe I liked it where we were! It will never be the same here as it was at home! What you want isn't always the same as what I want! Just because we're twins doesn't mean I can be happy with the same thing you are happy with." My body shook with sobs. Cerelia's look of anger turned to one of concern.

"I miss my old life. I miss even the bad stuff, at least it was familiar. But I especially miss mom and dad" I cried, breaking down finally. Like Cerelia said, it really was setting in finally. I shed a few tears earlier, but that was more shock than anything.

I glared up at Cere, almost daring her to say one more thing about how I should forget everything. Instead, she looked incredibly guilty. Next thing I know, I was being hugged. Her shoulders shook, was she crying too?

"I'm so, so, so sorry, Aurora! You know I never meant to ruin your life. It was only supposed to be me." She said shakily. I hugged back.

"I know, Cere, I know. It's just so hard to accept that we can't see mom or dad anymore. I love them, and when you talk about this world, I keep feeling like you don't care about them."

She shook her head. "I love them too. I just couldn't stay there, I know this is where I belong. And I know they're in a safe place, so I can move on. I hope you can too."

I gulped, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. " Sorry for freaking out on you." I apologized, "It'll take more time for me to adjust than just a day. Can you believe we've only been here that long?" .

Cere laughed, clearing her eyes off as well. "I know, so much had happened. " I laughed with her a little, then looked to the skies.

"You know, it actually is pretty late, and we haven't had a proper rest since we got here." I said, pointing out the darkening sky. Cere grinned.

"You're right, Aura. I'm kinda tired too. And there's still some food in my backpack. Wanna just eat something from there and go to bed?"

That did sound pretty nice. Not only was I physically worn out, I was emotionally as well. "Good plan." I agreed, and we went back into the apartment, microwaving some canned soup, there was luckily some bowls and silverware in the kitchen part.

As for sleeping arrangements, I took the floor, with a blanket underneath me. Cere had the bed because, well, she did call it and there certainly wasn't enough room for the two of us. It was surprisingly easy to drift off, even as the thumps became louder. I guess they become less careful with their roof jumping as the night comes out. Perhaps they are coming back from missions and are too tired or lazy to be quiet.

Abandoning that thought, I let myself fall asleep, dreaming of simpler times.

* * *

The next morning was a very confusing one. I woke up to the dawn, birds beginning to chirp. Yes, I'm very much a morning person. It's kind of annoying, but I always seemed to have had an internal clock that's synched to the sun. No matter how hard I try, I can never stay up very late, and I always wake up early.

Mom always said that was a good thing, because a lot of people had trouble waking with the sun. Then again, she also said that it was best to be like Cerelia, who could adopt any kind of sleeping pattern immediately.

After taking a second to lament my early-bird hours, I realized that I wasn't in my bed. I somehow... fell on the floor? Weird, that hasn't happened in a long time. I took a look around me. Everything's different. Where are we?

_Oh yeah_.

I groaned, will there be a morning I wake up _not_ thinking I'm back home? Let me tell you, it's really depressing to wake up thinking of your normal life only to realize it was just taken away. Then again, it is only the second time waking up in this world.

I stretched, and yawned, standing up as I did so. Huh, it really is dawn out. The sky is dark, except for the prick of light over the treetops, signifying the rising of the sun. I looked over at my sister, deeply asleep. What time is it anyway? One of the first things we're buying is a clock, and then a bed for me. My back is sore from the floor.

Feeling a little hungry, I wandered over to Cere's backpack. There were many items in there, ranging from a hairbrush, to popcorn meant to be popped over a fire, to a notepad and pens. I took a granola bar and stepped onto the balcony to enjoy the view.

It really was a pretty place. The birds were singing their morning chorus, and the streets were peaceful, almost no one about. Except for the ninjas, of course. It goes without saying that they would be getting up around now as well. There weren't as many as before, most likely headed for early training.

I swallowed the last of my granola bar. Ahh, that was-

_Thunk!_

Okay, did someone do a belly flop on the roof? That was loud. I try to lean back and see it,but the balcony doesn't go back far enough. I hear a low groan, looks like somebody had an accident. There's only one thing to do.

I decided to climb up onto the roof. Trust me, it wasn't easy despite the short distance. After standing on the railing of the balcony, I leaned up and grabbed the edge of the roof, using the rough bricks to scramble up. Good thing I'm not afraid of heights.

When I get up there, I see a kid who looked a few years younger than me. He was just standing up again, rubbing his head. "Hey, you okay?" I ask, concerned.

He looked at me with surprise in his blue eyes. "Uh, yeah, I'm okay. I slipped and hit my head." I could see a bump raising on his forehead, a sharp cut from the rim of the goggles he wore.

"That looks nasty, are you sure? You're bleeding you know." He shook his blonde spiky head, wincing as he did.

"I'm sorry, I would offer some ice, but I just moved in here, I don't think we have any." He grinned, whisker marks making him look rather like a grinning fox...

_Wait a second._

Wow, I'm an idiot. Bright orange jumpsuit, spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, whisker marks on his cheeks,short stature. Even if I don't read the story, not realizing I was talking to Naruto of all people is kind of pathetic. But hey, I didn't expect to actually see him, never mind in real life.

Which brings me to another strange point. He looks just like he does in the anime, everything looks like it was in the anime, not real-ish at all. Yet I can't seem to place, what does 'realish' look like? The anime is reality now, I guess. Wow, that means I've been animefied without my knowledge.

Naruto seemed intrigued. "You just moved here? No wonder, this apartment's been empty for awhile. Well, my name's Naruto Uzumaki! What's yours?" He shouted rather loudly, rather reminiscent of Might Guy. He raised his arms up to emphasize, but ended up flinching and holding his head again.

"I'm Aurora Aukess. Me and my sister just got here yesterday. Say, do you want some breakfast? You probably shouldn't be running around rooftops like that." I invited. He grinned even wider, immediately agreeing with the statement,

"Your treat?"

I nodded. "I don't have much money though, so please don't pick somewhere expensive."

His eyes lit up. "I know the perfect place! Since you're new, you definitely have to come to Ichiraku! Let's go, let's go!" Wow, he really is hyperactive.

"Sure, I'm gonna get my money though. It's in the apartment. Meet you at the entrance?" He shrugged, nodded, and casually jumped off the roof.

_Holy crap!_

I ran to the edge and peered over it. He was fine, having jumped on several other buildings to reach the ground safely. I, on the other hand, carefully slid down and fell back on the balcony with a nerve wracking whunk.

I searched around for the wallet we got. I was going to tell my sister about this, but she was still asleep and I didn't want her to freak out or do something stupid and most likely fangirl-y. So I took it and made my way to the bottom of the apartment building. When I got outside, Naruto was tapping his foot impatiently.

"What took you so long?" He whined.

"I was pretty quick. It's not like I'm a ninja, you know." I defended myself, as he began to lead me into the heart of Konoha.

"You're not? There aren't many civilians who get up around this time."

" Well, there aren't many ninja who have trouble climbing a few meters." He chuckled at that.

Let me tell you, making small talk with a person who's supposed to be fictional is rather unnerving. Out of all the people in this entire village, I ended up talking to the main character? That has to be some kind of luck, good or bad I have yet to find out.

"So, how far are you in the academy?" I asked. I'm not sure which year, I think Cere said it was the last one?

"I'm in my last year! Man, I can't wait to be a ninja! I'm gonna be Hokage someday, you know!" He cheered. I couldn't help but admire his excitement. His mood dropped somewhat when we got to the ramen bar he wanted to eat at. Turns out it _doesn't_ open at the crack of dawn.

"Aw, why isn't it open? I've been here before academy starts all the time. That was what, 7:30? It's 6:00 now." He complained. I shook my head in shame.

"Since when is ramen a breakfast food, anyways? Well, whatever. Looks like you'll have to come back later." He looked at me with shock.

"I eat it three meals a day! We're going to wait it out! I'm not losing a chance for a free meal!" At that, I had to meet my palm to my face.

"I'm not going to sit here for an hour and a half. Unless I'm doing something productive, I really should get back to my sister, she doesn't know I left."

"Whaaaat? No, don't go!" He stared up into my eyes, blue eyes sparkling and seeming particularly large. Is that... puppy dog eyes? Whatever it is, it's too cute, he needs to stop!

"Don't look at me like that! Do you maybe know anywhere interesting around here? I could get to know the village." I pleaded. He looked partially surprised, as if he hadn't really expected that to work.

"Okay, I'll give you the grand tour, believe it! And then you'll buy me ramen!" He exclaimed with eagerness, grabbing my wrist and running off.

Naruto was, as expected, not the best tour guide. Still, I think I got a pretty good grasp of the town. We visited the training grounds, the academy (it didn't start till 8:30, almost the same time schools back at home started) his apartment building (actually only a block from mine) and the hokage faces. There was a tricky path that led to the top of the heads, of course it was no problem for the ninja-in-training here.

We ended up sitting on the cliff and chatting some more. He told me some funny stories about various pranks he's pulled. It turns out that's why he was up so early in the first place. He wanted to pull a prank on his teacher, Iruka, and was getting the supplies when he hit his head on my roof.

"Speaking of which, how is your head?" I asked. He shrugged, pushing up his blonde spiky bangs to reveal only a slight bruise.

"Wow, you heal fast. Is that a ninja thing? There was a big cut there before, too." I questioned. He shrugged, not really knowing either. That's when I remembered that he had that demon fox, the kyuubi. I imagine it would make him heal fast. He doesn't even know about that yet, does he?

"If you're feeling better, I don't have to feed you then." I joked, sticking my tongue out. I don't know why I'm being so comfortable around him, really. Back home, even when I wasn't around Cerelia, I was never really open. Maybe it's because I already know Naruto is a good person.

He whined at the joke, "That's not funny! You already promised!"

"Yeah, yeah. So long as you don't eat much. I don't have a lot." He laughed.

"Ichiraku's pretty cheap, I go there whenever I have the money, and I don't get much either. Old man Hokage gives me an allowance for food, and I don't have to pay rent." I nodded at that. After all, you can't expect an eleven year old to hold a job and keep his grades up at school.

"So how is your school, anyway? Any annoying kids?" That question definitely got a reaction out of him. The hyperactive blonde immediately went into all the details, about this annoying guy, Sasuke Uchiha.

That name was familiar. That's the kid that ends up betraying the village and generally being a huge douche bag after the time skip. And him an Naruto end up friends before he leaves too. Funny, he doesn't seem to fond of the guy now.

Then there's Sakura Haruno, Naruto obviously has a crush on the girl, but it seems she's only interested in '_sasuke-teme_' as Naruto puts it. I know her, but only that she has pink hair and Cerelia hates her. Apparently Naruto also skips occasionally with Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru, but I have no idea who they are.

When Naruto was finally done explaining every detail about his classmates and teacher, it was late enough to get some breakfast.

"Come on, it'll be quicker if we go down this way!" He exclaimed, pointing at another, ninja specific route. It had several rocks jutting out from the side of the cliff, you could only do it by jumping. It would be quicker sure, but there's no way I can make that.

"Not a chance, I'm no ninja, I'd die if I tries to make that!" I pointed out, trying to get it through his skull that we are very far apart in terms of physical prowess, even if he was failing as he told me.

"Well, maybe you should be, it would make things easier. Too bad you can't come to the academy too, you're a year older than me, right?" I shrugged this time, making my way down the safer route. He followed, albeit impatiently.

"I could. My sister is, she's the same age as me. She convinced the Hokage to let her join the last year because she knows a lot already. He said I could too with some catchup work, but I don't think it's a good idea, you know?"

He made a strange choking noise. "What? You don't want to be a ninja? You're crazy! Ninjas are awesome, and we can do cool stuff like jutsus!" He then spent the whole time as we walked to Ichiraku's, trying to convince me how much being a ninja rocked.

"-And what would you do if someone tried to mug you? If you were a ninja you could beat them up!"

I rolled my eyes. "Or I could just be careful about alleyways. Oh, by the way, didn't you want ramen?" I said, noticing we had gotten all the way to the ramen shop again. That elicited a different response. The ninja-in-training immediately dropped the subject and plopped onto a seat, ordering a miso ramen without missing a beat.

I sat uncertainly. "Um, so Naruto... I've never had ramen before. What kind should I get?" It's true. I've never really been into Asian culture much. Pretty understandable where I come from. Naruto looked horrified however.

"You poor depraved person! What kind of place did you come from that you never got the chance to eat ramen! Teuchi-san, we need another miso ramen!" He continued to look at me as if I had grown another head, before shrugging it off.

"Well, at least you're trying it now! Where do you come from, anyways?" I shifted uncomfortably. Cerelia never gave me a name for the supposed village we came from.

"Ah, just some really secluded village a long while off from here. Honestly, I've never been outside of it except when we had to move, so I couldn't really tell you where it is." I explained, lying through my teeth.

"Oh really? Why did you decide to move?" I winced. At least I can be semi-honest with this one.

"Oh, I never wanted to move. I was quite content to stay there. Cerelia, my sister, always wanted to be a ninja. Then one day, out of nowhere, our parents died. Cere took that chance to move here, once she discovered she could use jutsus. I didn't have anyone else so I followed. Honestly, I think I'm the only one mourning them." I said this with true sadness. Mom and dad would be a sore spot for a while even if they weren't really dead.

Naruto was silent for a bit. "I'm sorry" he apologized. "I'm an orphan too, so I know the feeling." I felt a pang of guilt.

"Thanks, but I'll be okay. I have my sister still, even if she's a pain sometimes." I tried to make it less awkward. Luckily the ramen came and that shut both of us up. I looked at my bowl for a second, then down at the chopsticks. How am I supposed to eat with these?

I stole a glance at Naruto, trying to imitate the way he held his chopsticks. It was hard but with the motivation of not looking like an idiot, I managed to get the hang of it. My first bite of ramen was... pure bliss! I hungrily slurped the rest up.

"Oh man, this stuff is amazing!" I gushed as I finished. "Ramen, where have you been all my life!" I exclaimed in a bout of happiness. The shopkeeper chuckled.

"Sounds like another Naruto. If you eat as much as him, we'll be rich!" He joked. Naruto was smiling ear to ear.

"I knew it! Ramen's the best thing ever! How about seconds?" He half asked me, half ordered. I had to shake my head though.

"No, I can't afford eating out, I don't have a job yet and I really need one. Me and my sister still need clothes, and food until I can get one. Not to mention we'll have to start rent soon." I explained. He agreed sadly, forgoing extra ramen in favor of me not starving to death.

"You need a job?" I heard the man serving us ramen ask. I cocked my head.

"Yeah, I was going to start looking for one, but then I somehow ended up treated him." I explained, pointing a thumb at Naruto.

"Well, I was talking to Fumiko, she's the owner of the Korean barbecue restaurant, Umai Niku across from here. She was saying she needed some part time help. You mind doing cleaning stuff and the occasional cooking?"

My eyes lit up. That sounds perfect! "Not at all, I love cooking and I don't mind cleaning stuff. I helped out with chores a lot at home, so I'm used to it."

The older man smiled, glad to have done something good. "That sounds great. It's that place right there." He stopped to point across the street. Sure enough, a small restaurant with the words 'Umai Niku' in bold, but worn letters sat in all it's homey glory.

"You could probably head there right now. Ask for Fumiko, tell her Teuchi sent you. She can't pay you a lot, but you can always get a second part time job." I nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay! See you, Naruto. Can you wait for me, though? I don't know the way back to my apartment yet. I'll try not to be long so you don't miss your classes."

Naruto snorted. "Take as much time as you want. That way I can have a real excuse for being late." I had yo roll my eyes at that. For someone who really wants to be a ninja he really doesn't like going to ninja school of all places.

I shrugged, wasting no time entering. It looks like they're technically open, because the door wasn't locked, but nothing was set up, except for a small corner, probably for the few breakfast people. Korean barbecue really doesn't sound like a breakfast food, in fact, neither does ramen but it was still good.

I came up to the first person I saw. "Excuse me, could I talk to Fumiko-san please?" The man, I assumed he was an employee, nodded, beckoning me to follow him. He led me into the backroom, past the kitchen and through another door that happened to be a staircase. The second floor looked to be a house.

"Fumiko-san! Someone wants to talk to you!" He called. I heard some mumbling in acknowledgment, and some shuffling.

The woman who emerged was of a senior age, though she aged very well. Her hair was long and partially tied up, silver-white from age but still soft and well kept. She was pretty tall for a female, with a solid frame not expected of an elderly person.

"Well, that's me. What would you like, child?" She asked kindly, glancing at me. I smiled, scratching my neck.

"Um, well, Teuchi-san from Ichiraku sent me. He overheard that I needed a job and told me to come here. He said you needed help with cleaning and assorted chores. I just moved here with my sister and we really need some kind of income."

She listened sympathetically. "Well, I can give you something part time. I'm getting older and I need more help with the cooking, unfortunately that leaves us needed more cleaners. It'll only be during rush hours, and you're only getting minimum wage, but if you don't mind then you can certainly have the job." Fumiko explained carefully.

That's not so hard. It will stop us from starving, and having to wear the same clothes every day. I'll need to get a second job or a full time one to begin paying for rent, though. I imagine the Hokage wouldn't let us go for more than a few months before we would need to pay.

"I'd love to, thank you very much" I bowed, very grateful. "So what do I need to know?"

We spent a good hour going over the basics. All I need to remember are the basics of the crash course training they gave to me, and my hours. They are every weekday, 5:00 to 8:30. Not so bad, if I do say so myself.

I left the restaurant feeling good. For once, things seemed to turn out perfectly for me! I almost ran into Naruto on the way out. Almost forgot he was still there.

"Oh, I'm sorry Naruto! You must have been bored to tears! I didn't mean to take so long!" I apologized profusely. He gave me a confused look.

"It's okay, did you get the job?" I stopped, and nodded happily. He grinned, and congratulated me.

"Of course, if you were a ninja, you wouldn't need a boring 'ol job like that!"

"Hmm, true, but what would I do during the academy year? I wouldn't get an allowance like you."

"Ah, you could always ask the old man! He's pretty nice you know." I chuckled, and we walked back to the apartment in high spirits.

When we got there, I remembered something. "Hey Naruto, when does ninja academy start again?" He grinned guiltily.

"Ahhh, 8:30..."

"And what time is it now?" He sheepishly took out a watch.

"...9:47" I slapped my forehead.

"You should really get to school! Now I feel bad keeping you here." I said, me being the guilty one this time.

"I said, don't worry about it! We're not doing anything cool today. And anyways, I wanna meet your sister!" I sighed.

We were now standing just outside the apartment door. There was no avoiding it. "Okay, but be warned. She might act a little... strange. Just bear with it." I warned, before unlocking the door.

I swing it open to find... Cerelia up, groggily eating some pop tarts from her bag. She looked up at me, relief in her eyes. "Aurora, you're really here! When I woke up, I thought you were here, but I couldn't find you. I thought I might be going crazy! Wait, who's with you?"

I scratched my head nervously, quickly reverting to my shy form, in the presence of my sister and a non-family member. "U-um, this is Naruto. I, uh, met him this morning... on the roof.". This was said in my quiet, soft voice. Naruto looked at me like I had turned into a frog, genuine confusion written all over it. He had no time to wonder about that, before Cere went ballistics.

"Wow, really? Naruto, you say?" She practically shouted, leaping over to the blonde. "It's very very very nice to meet you! Wow! I'm Cerelia!" She said, as if she were meeting her favorite cartoon character... oh, yeah, she is. I guess I can't blame her. Still, it would be nice for her to tone it down a little.

"So, you're training to be a ninja? Are you in the last year class? I'm joining that year too! It's gonna be so fun! I start next Monday, only a few days from now! It's gonna be so awesome, am I right?" Cere said at light speed, getting even Naruto to wince a little.

"..yeah, can't say I'm excited about the academy. Still, you need to do it to be a ninja, and that will be the awesome part." She nodded like her head was taped to a jackhammer.

"Of course! Being a ninja is my deepest wish!" She said dreamily, finally calming down a bit. Naruto laughed.

"Hey Aurora-chan, if your sister is this enthusiastic, why don't you want to?" He questioned. I looked down meekly, who cocked his head in confusion.

"Oh, don't mind Aura. She's like, really shy. That, and she wouldn't make a good ninja, if you know what I mean. She would never have the willpower, just one of those people who aren't cut out for it."

I ducked farther down with each word, biting my lip.

"She's also got terrible reflexes. You'd just get yourself impaled by a shuriken, right Aurora?" I nodded, not meeting anyone's eyes. It's all true though, isn't it? Cerelia wouldn't say anything if it weren't true, she knows me best.

"Hey, I have the worst reflexes in our class, and I still manage. That's what they teach you in the first place. If she wants to be a ninja, then she's fully capable!" I stole a glance at the whiskered boy. He looked... angry? At what? No ones been mad at Cere for any reason other than jealousy.

"And why are you so shy all of a sudden? You were fine a second ago!" He exclaimed, I shuddered and backed up a little, pushing my hair behind my ears again.

" No, Aurora's always been like that around anyone other than me. I've never seen her act differently, anyways. Enough about her, though. It can't be helped that she's not interested. When the Hokage asked her about it, all she would talk about was the dreary details. I, on the other hand, am just fine being a ninja!" Cere said, in what seemed suspiciously like an attempt to steer the conversation away from me.

She must be trying to save me from being under the limelight, putting the conversation on her so I can slip away. Cere knows how shy I get.

"Yah, I'm a little far behind right now, but I'm a really quick learner! I'll be caught up in no time, I've always gotten the best marks!" Cere continued with further enthusiasm. I backed away some more, unintentionally drawing Naruto's attention further.

"What's wrong, Aurora?" He asked me, outright ignoring Cere. My eyes bugged out a little. No one has ever outright _ignored_ Cerelia! It seems she wasn't used to the treatment either, for a second she looked annoyed. Maybe even a little angry?

I began to open my mouth but Cere interrupted. "She' perfectly fine. She just has low self-esteem issues. It goes along with her pessimistic personality. Despite the name, Aurora's kind of a depressing person." Cere said a little forcefully. Of course, she wouldn't find anything wrong with those sentences.

Am I really so depressing, though? I uncrossed my arms in resignation. Naruto gave Cerelia a disgusted look. "And I wonder why?" He spat. My eyes widened, as did Cere's. Why was he so pissed all of a sudden?

It couldn't be on my behalf, could it? No one's ever said anything to Cere in my defense. After all, someone as smart and talented as her would certainly know her sister well enough to say anything about her. No one would challenge whenever Cere said something that made me feel bad. Not even me.

Naruto turned to me, concern mixing with the anger on his face. "I'll see you later, okay?" He gave another angry look at Cerelia, and ran out the sliding doors which were still open, leaping onto the roof and running off. I sure hope he's going to class.

I glanced at Cerelia, wondering what she was making of this. The half red, half black haired girl looked absolutely pissed. I came towards her.

"What's wrong, Cere?" I asked cautiously. She whirled to me.

"Ugh! He isn't supposed to act like that! Naruto's completely different from the story! He treated me like, like I was one of his enemies! I didn't even do anything!"

I looked away, unsure how to comfort her. She wasn't done yet.

"Argh! I was going to make friends with all the canon characters! He didn't pay any attention to me at all! What's up with that! I'm an extremely interesting person, yet he kept trying to talk about you! What did you do, anyways?"

I stood up straight. "I woke up early, and he tripped when jumping over our roof. And then, he looked pretty hurt because he landed on his head and his goggle made a big gash on his forehead, so I asked him if he was okay and ended up treating him to ramen. I made sure we didn't spend much though, and on the plus side I got a job!" I said quickly, emphasizing the last part.

Cere looked thoughtful. "Hmm, so I may be able to win his friendship with food, thanks! You should have woken me up, though! Now he might just hang out with you instead, and that wouldn't be fair. I'm the one who actually wants to befriend all the characters."

I ducked my head in apology. "Sorry, it just sort of happened. But at least I have a job now, at a Korean barbeque place, Umai Niku. I'm helping weekdays 5:00 to 8:30." Cerelia nodded, pleased with the information.

"Good, that'll keep you busy. I'll work on the Naruto thing later. For now, I'm going shopping. I need to look good at the academy! And you need some extra sets of clothes too."

I sighed. Good thing that's over. I don't like seeing Cere angry, especially not at me. It did seem weird, though. Why did she get mad just because Naruto ignored her for a bit? Sure, she's never really been ignored before, but that seems a little, I don't know, selfish.

No, no! I shouldn't think bad things of my sister! My crippling jealousy is bad enough. She can't help it, she's built to be the center of attention, of course she's mad if she doesn't get what's due to her.

"Come on, let's go. I'd pick some out for you, but we have slightly different sizes." I followed Cerelia out the door. This place sure is different from home. It's only been a few hours, and it's already completely upturned one of the fundamental rules of my life.

I still hate being here, but if I'm completely honest with myself,... I like it being upturned. Much like a breath of fresh air after being in a stuffy room for too long.

* * *

A/N:

Well, that took a long time. I was actually going to go a lot farther, all the way to Aurora getting convinced to be a ninja and the two starting the academy, than I realized I had dragged it all the way to 16 pages and didn't feel like making it super long. To anyone who'd annoyed at the length of time it's taking to get to the real story, I'm sorry, but I feel I really need to show how different Aurora acts around her sister and without her sister.

Also, I really hope Aurora's not going mary sue. She'll get out of her self-pity party soon. I know it's cliché to have naruto be the first person she meets, but I thought he'd be the best person to help her out, he does it for practically everyone else at some point.

I also want to get Aurora out of her slump too. Cerelia's acting pretty harsh, but I wanted to get the message across that Aurora doesn't realize that her sister shouldn't be saying that and just because she says something doesn't make it true. I wanted to make it a realistic outcome of having a sister who gets everything handed to her on a silver platter. And so, naturally, Cerelia acts like a spoiled brat when someone finally doesn't pay attention to her.

Please review if you like it ^^


	4. Choice

Shopping was... an interesting affair. I certainly didn't want to come, I hate shopping, even if it is in another world. However, even I know that you need more than one pair of clothes. Unless you wanna go naked while its washing.

So, I had no real reason to resist being pulled around the streets by Cerelia, the resident mall rat. Well, I wouldn't put it that harshly, but she does love her shopping. Well that, and I was also too shell shocked to do much after Cere and Naruto met. She's still mad about that, I can feel it in the way she turns a little too sharply, and the way she handles the clothes she's looking at.

But, it's not keeping her too down. I can tell she's cheering up.

"Oh, this shirt is so cute! I wonder where the fishnet is, that would just complete the image, don't you think?" Cere held up what seemed to be a bra with an intricate pattern around the straps.

"You'd freeze if you wore that." Cere rolled her eyes at my response.

"Temperature isn't an issue. I need to look good for my debut at the academy. Then again, I don't want to look slutty..." She put the skimpy top back with a sigh. I rolled my eyes and looked for some clothes of my own.

Getting underwear and socks didn't take any time at all. I already knew my sizes, and there's no reason to be picky if no one gets to see it. Then again, Cere seems pretty into picking out her underwear. Is that a thong with a frilly bow? Eew, I didn't need to see that.

Removing that image from my mind, I thought of what other clothes I needed. Most importantly, work clothes. They have to be nice because I'll be near customers sometimes, but Fumiko said it could be casual wear. I looked around a little, before spotting some plain clothes. Rifling through a bargain pile, I found myself a few solid color v-neck tees, and a couple pairs of black jeans. No reason to pay more if you don't have to, right?

What else do I need? I tapped my foot thoughtfully. Technically, I could make work clothes double as my regular clothes, but still it would be nice to have a little variety. I'm not sure if we have enough money for it though. I have no clue what Cere's getting, chances are a lot. Besides, I can come back later once I've gotten my first paycheck.

After finding Cere, who had, as expected, gotten a huge amount of clothes, we bought everything and left the store. It turns out not getting a full wardrobe was a good idea, we now only had enough for a few days worth of food.

"So, when we get back, I'm going to change into one of these, and go to the training grounds. I want to see if I can unlock my kekkei genkai, plus hopefully someone canon will see me there. I can't wait to impress them." Cere announced rather wistfully. I just hope she doesn't get lost.

"Okay then. I need to organize my things properly. You know, to get moved in." I replied, not wanting to have my clothes eternally shoved in a corner. Cere nodded in acknowledgment

"Good idea, you'll set up my stuff too, right?" She asked. I agreed with a simple nod. It's not as if I'm unused to cleaning up after her. So long as she doesn't ask me when she has a room of her own, there's no reason to refuse. Then again, even if there was a reason to refuse, would I be able to?

"Thanks, Aura" She said, lips turning to a cheerful grin.

And so, it happened. Cerelia left to go train, I converted the barren bedroom to something that looked slightly inhabited, though the clothes really did have nowhere to go yet, they were laid out on either side of the room.

After that was done, it really didn't take very long, I enjoyed a comfortable silence in the apartment. It was far from home, and every time I blinked I was reminded of that fact. However, I could see it soon becoming a place of comfort, if only a little.

Cere came back around 6:30, tired and disheveled, original goals unfulfilled, but still satisfied.

"I managed to master the clone technique, though I only got one clone at a time for now. It can't be helped I guess, I'm not used to using chakra."

I had to smile a little. Even though sometimes I resent my sister, and can't stand to be in her presence without taking a drastic slump in confidence, I hate to see her disappointed If Cere is sad, how can I be happy? I can see that she truly wants to be a ninja, more than anything. In a way, her enthusiasm is preventing me from going into complete depression in this situation.

We had an unhealthy dinner of canned soup, again. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else in the bag. Only a few snacks and breakfast items. We _need_ to go grocery shopping soon!

That's what I did the next morning. It was an interesting experience, as I wasn't used to the open market styled selling of produce. At least with the clothes we walked into a store that was more or less similar to an outlet mall, but just for one store.

The market was chaos, to put it easily. I looked among the various fruits and vegetables, being constantly jostled and shoved around.

"I'm sorry, Please excuse me, um, sorry, watch out please!" I murmured as I too ended up having to push others aside. When I finally got a vegetable stand with cheaper wares, everything was almost gone. Fortunately, I didn't need much. That's the nice thing about only having two people.

I managed to spread the last of our money wisely, buying raw produce to make it cheaper still. I can cook well enough, thank gosh, otherwise I'm sure me and Cere would starve. I thanked the vendor, filling two bags with the food, and holding one in each hand.

I turned, and after carefully making sure there was adequate space, I walked away. Well, I got about halfway through the busy street before I was rudely elbowed in the ribs.

"Ow!" I complained, falling from the impact. That really hurt! I turned my gaze to the assailant, only to find a crowd of girls. Wincing as my arms stretched, I hastily snatched my bags up before they were trampled, and stood up before I shared that fate as well.

"What the.." I muttered, noticing the group of girls, there were around seven or so, all seemed to be around my age, a little younger. And they all centered on one object. Standing on the tips of my toes, I cursed my inadequate height.

All I could see from the spot all the female minds were concentrated on was a flash of black. After a moment, I realized it was the head of a person, a boy to be exact, with sharp black eyes that matched his hair. I spent a moment racking my memory, for he seemed familiar and I knew he had to be one of the characters in the story.

Sasuke Uchiha, was it? It is. I remember now! He's Cerelia's biggest anime crush. Looks like she'll fit in just fine with the other girls. That thought made me giggle a little, imagining Cere acting like a total fangirl in front of him.

Once I made sure that him and his posse were lost to the crowd of people, I full out laughed. The irony! Cere always, always complained about the stupid fangirls of the manga, and how they are useless and annoying, but yet she plans to catch his attention with her looks and skills?

Seeing something like that is so much funnier than in real life! One guy, being chased my hundreds of girls who swoon over him because of his looks and troubled past? I realize I am living a manga, but that particular cliché is so unrealistic its funny.

Eventually I got over myself and made my way home. When I told Cere, she seemed a little jealous almost, until I mentioned that I didn't even get a good look.

"It had to happen, even anime characters need to eat." She reasoned. I agreed.

"Speaking of Sasuke, isn't he the character you wanted to impress?" Cere blushed a crimson shade, something that I've never seen her do. Guys have confessed to her, but she always turned them down.

"Yeah, and I'm not going to do it like them. No, I can't be placed in the same category as a fangirl! I'm going to win his heart by playing hard to get! That's how it works in the fanfiction, he'll fall for the girl who doesn't care what he thinks."

I shrugged. Admittedly, it's a better idea than stalking, which is the best the girls around here can come up with.

"How will you let him know you're interested, though?" I had to ask. Cere snorted.

"I won't have to. When we finally meet, I'm going to make fun of him, show him I don't give a damn, but make sure he sees how pretty I am. Then I have to 'coincidentally' train at the same place he does, so he can get a chance to see how good I am. After that I'll make sure we get into the same Genin team, hopefully replacing Sakura, but I can settle for a four-man team. He'll be smitten in no time, and that's when I'll confess that I feel the same way. Oh, it's going to be so romantic, I can't wait to meet him so I can get started!"

I rolled my eyes. "How can you be sure of exactly what his reactions will be? What if he just finds you annoying because you made fun of him?"

"Oh, we can spend all day going over what-ifs, you know. It's not gonna happen, I have plenty of fanfiction experience, and I've watched all the episodes. I know exactly how he acts in any given situation." Cere explained with a confident tone.

I kept my mouth shut after that, not even bothering to tell her that fanfictions had the word 'fan' in them for a reason. If she was so adamant on it, then she will surely succeed. I decided to spend my energy on making lunch instead.

The rest of that day was spent with me indoors becoming bored, and Cere out at the training grounds again. Nothing of note happened until I remembered today was my first day of work.

It was pretty hectic as well, though not as bad as the market. Fumiko-san had me only cleaning off tables, and setting them up for customers. There were so many people that came in and out, it seems to be very popular.

One thing I could be glad about was that I didn't see anyone else that I knew from the story. There very well could have been some, considering I only know Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke. That's good, I don't want to perceive anyone as a fictional character, because, well, they aren't anymore.

I have to get that through my head. This is no longer a manga, it is reality. Because if it isn't reality, then I'm no longer real, and I can't deal with that.

In the end, work was fairly pleasant, if a little tiring. I finished my second whole day in Konoha sleeping soundly.

The next morning, I woke up at dawn as usual. With a tired mind, I realized it was a Saturday. We came to Konoha on Wednesday Cere starts the academy on Monday. When she's gone, I'll be home alone and bored. I should get a hobby. Not yet though, for now I'm too lazy.

For now, just staring at the rising sun from our balcony was enough. I've done it every morning so far, just staring at the bright colours emerging, until the sky was bright and sunny. It was a whole lot more beautiful than the dawns at home. I watched them a few times back then, but it never really struck me the way this one did.

Everything was prettier in this world, actually. I think it must have something to do with the lack of pollution. I did find several electronic devices, but as far as I can tell, there aren't any computers or cars or video games. It was rather confusing, seeing as they have some inventions that are very recent, yet missing other things. I can't place a time line for this world, it can't really be compared to our world in any way time frame wise.

Maybe that's a good thing, though. It wouldn't really be much of a ninja story if everyone could just drive places, and use guns. That's why no one's a ninja in this world's sense back home. That, and jutsu's aren't possible there either.

For the umpteenth time I wished I could be back home. I want to go home so bad. But Cere said it was impossible. She probably did her research before attempting the jutsu, but is it really true? How can she be completely sure there isn't a way back?

This might just be me keeping my hopes up, but if there is a way into here, then surely there's a way out? Why would there only be one way? It would make more sense if this world also had a way to go to the real one. Maybe I should check the library or something, not that I expect to find a whole lot of reliable info right away.

That actually sounds like a good idea. Maybe researching ways back home could be my hobby too. Well, that's a little depressing. The library does sound like a good place to go to though, even if just to gain a better understanding of this world.

I spent as long as I could preparing mine and Cere's breakfast. It was simply omelettes with cheese and green onion. I wrapped hers up and out it in the fridge. Cere's good at cooking too, but she hates it and I know she wont eat anything if I don't make it. She'd probably pig out on junk food instead, it's not like she ever gets fat from anything.

When the sun was all the way up I deemed it late enough for the library to be open. On a random thought of common sense, I left a note for Cere in case I took a while.

Making my way out of the building, I memorized the address. It would be no good if I got lost and couldn't remember where the house was! The only problem now is... finding the library.

Really, it wasn't too hard to wander the streets. The problem is they all look identical. Cobbled roads, street-side vendors, telephone lines much like back home. The constant whiz of ninja above, on their very own highway. Not that I blame them, if I had the ability I certainly wouldn't spend all my time walking slowly.

Well, I think it's surely safe to say I'm lost. Not that I didn't expect that. It's just a little pitiful that it only took me two minutes to do so! I laughed aloud for a second, earning a strange look from several passers-by. Well, they can keep looking at me strange, I'm in a good mood right now, despite the situation.

I probably should not be expecting any kind of information about dimensional travel in an ordinary library, but the prospect of a way back just excites me. It's more than just research, it's a source of hope for me. I bet, if we were back in our world right now, I would be on the computer, after failing at trying to sleep in on the weekend. Probably browsing deviantart, or reading the newest One Piece chapter if I didn't get around to it on Friday.

Then again, I don't even know if time flows the same way in both worlds. It might be a different day of the week too, there's all sorts of things that can differ between alternate dimensions. What if... I found a way back home and when I got there it turned out a hundred years had passed?

No, can't think about that either. I can't listen to all the 'what-ifs'. After all, it's just as likely for me to get back there and find that no time at all has passed. That would be the best, though for now, I'll just assume that the time between worlds will pass at the same speed.

After walking aimlessly for what had to be an hour at least, I got tired of trying to find the library on my own, and decided to ask for directions. The problem with that is that nobody wanted to help me! Literally every person I tried to talk to turned their nose up and ignored me, or were too busy with their own things to even notice me.

"Ah, excuse me! Do you know where the library is..?" I tried to ask a man walking behind me. He rolled his eyes and turned abruptly, leaving my site.

I sighed. This is getting me nowhere! I asked a middle-aged woman with a stroller, but she yelled at me instead.

"Don't you see I'm bust here? Go ask someone else!" She mumbled profanities at me and I backed off carefully.

Augh, these people are no help at all. The crowd of humans is so stifling now, everywhere I look, there are annoying, condescending busybodies! I decided to turn down an alley for a breather. No sense in losing my temper, right?

Luckily enough, there was a narrow deserted pathway into the less traveled parts of the city. I walked down the quiet alleyway, feeling more rejuvenated despite the funny smell. I'll be just as likely to find the library walking around here than I will on the open streets, so I might as well explore a bit.

Now, you could call me stupid for walking around deserted alleyways, especially if you are completely lost, and with no self defense You would be correct. Unfortunately, I had the notion that nothing would be happening simply because it's the daytime and it would be unlikely for me to get into any kind of trouble.

It was after a good half-hour or so, I was only a little tired due to my comfortable pace. I turned around a corner, only to hear a scream from the opposite direction.

I jumped in shock, turning my head to see what the noise was about. A young woman, in her mid-twenties, was pressed up against the wall. A burly, middle aged man with a scraggly unkempt beard was the cause, one meaty hand on her neck as the other rooted around her purse.

" Help!" She began to scream, but the man squeezed her neck tightly and she started coughing. Ignoring her struggles, the thief deemed the purse valuable enough to steal, and began searching the woman for jewelery

I shrunk behind the corner for a second, being frightened. But then I paused. I can't just leave her! What if the man's going to kill her after this? Even if he's not, this is still a mugging and I need to _do_ something.

...But what can I do? I'm no martial-artist. Even more importantly though, I can't just leave her there. I stepped around the corner uncertainly, approaching the thief and his victim. Oh geez, I'm so nervous! What the hell am I supposed to do in this situation? Why can't they teach you these things in school?

Ha, they probably teach it in ninja school here. Cere would be able to take care of it, I'm sure. She can take care of anything. The problem is... Cere isn't here. It's just me. I can't always depend on her, I've got to think for myself!

Quietly, I picked up a fist shaped rock lying on the ground. Neither saw me, and my heart twisted in concern at the tears now streaming down the lady's vibrant green eyes. Right... I can do this! I can save somebody!

Maybe this isn't the best plan. Perhaps Cere would have had a better one with a higher chance at success. But this... is the best I can come up with. It's simple. Take rock, sneak up, hit the man on the head. He'll be knocked unconscious, or at least dazed, so the lady can get away. I'll book it as well.

I crept up behind the man easily enough. He wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings at all. Good thing he's just a normal person, I don't know what I'd do if it had been a ninja! It was when I brought my arm back, preparing to smash it into the temple of the mugger.

The woman's eyes widened as she saw me, staring over the man's shoulder at me. Said man realized something was up, turning his head just in time for my rock-enhanced swing to miss his temple and hit him... right in the nose.

I heard a sharp crack, and an accompanied scream of pain. He reacted instinctively, I couldn't even see the fist coming until it had caught me in the cheek. This time it was me who yelled out in agony, I stumbled back several steps.

"What the hell are you doing, getting involved!" The man snarled at me, stepping away from the crying woman to focus on me instead. I panicked, and backed up further. The woman fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Another fist to the gut knocked me to the ground, bringing me back to the problem at hand. The man had an angry sneer on his face.

"You just lost me my money, you little bitch. I'll teach you not to mess with me!" I would have laughed at the cliché villain line, if not for the circumstances.

Why oh why did I get involved in this? It's not like I'm changing anything, the lady is in too much pain to move. As soon as he takes care of me, he'll go back to finish his business and I'll have gotten hurt for nothing. This is what I get for walking down abandoned alleys. If only I had some way of protecting myself!

Well, there's still the rock in my hand. He might be expecting it, but that's better than nothing! I brought my hand up, to hit him in the face again, only for him to grab my arm. He clamped my wrist so tightly, I was forced to drop the stone, and it clattered to the ground harmlessly.

"You expecting to get me a second time with that? It only worked the first time because you snuck up, f***ing cheater." He snarled. I gulped as he brought his fist back.

The resulting punch I knew would be brutally painful. I could see his muscles clench as he put his full strength into it, aiming for my face.

But the punch was never to hit. Even with my eyes open, I didn't see anything. He was there, about to punch my lights out, and then he was flying backwards, crashing to the ground. In front of me now stood a boy, his green-clad back to me.

"Do not participate in such unyouthful crimes as assaulting the defenseless! I'll let you go, but only if you never steal again!" He said in a firm, loud voice.

The now-frightened man trembled and stood up slowly. "Shinobi!" He muttered under his breath, before turning tail and sprinting out of sight. My savior is a ninja, then?

As soon as the mugger was out of sight, the boy slung the lady over his shoulder. He turned to me, and I immediately recognized him. I'd notice those eyebrows and clothing anywhere. He's the pupil of that helpful man who brought us into Konoha, Might Guy! I forget the kids name, though.

"Are you in pain? I'm bringing this lady to the hospital, she's fainted. Do you want me to take you as well?"

I tilted my head. He seems a lot nicer than that pale eyed boy who's also Guy's student. I briefly felt my cheek, wincing at the pain my fingers brought as they touched the bruising flesh. Then there was also the aching pain in my stomach from that punch to the gut.

"I... might need a pack of ice or something. My face and stomach hurt but I don't think I broke anything." I said honestly.

"I can probably make it home though, it's no trouble." I added, not wanting to make him work harder, seeing as he already saved me.

"Nonsense, I can take you to the hospital easily. A medic-nin can get that healed up faster than any ice-pack!" He insisted cheerfully.

"Well, okay I guess if you want too..." I conceded, a little unsure. He grinned like a maniac, making me a little afraid, before beckoning to me.

"Great! Get on my back, if I can't get the two of you to the hospital in under thirty seconds, I will run a hundred laps around Konoha!" He challenged himself. I though it was a little weird, but didn't question it. Everyone had their quirks. Nervously, I climbed onto his waiting back, holding his shoulder and the young woman over his other shoulder firmly.

Once he was sure that my grip was suitable, he ran off like a bullet. No, seriously, all of a sudden the wind was screaming in my ears, the force of gravity trying to pull me off the ninja's back. I buried my head between him and the lady, trying to ward off the sudden motion sickness. I couldn't even keep my eyes open, the wind forcing them shut. I may have screamed, but I couldn't hear myself anyways. My body shuddered as I was reminded of the vortex that brought me into this world.

I think I blacked out because when I opened my eyes next, a nurse was scolding the green clad ninja.

"Honestly! Another one! What's the point of bringing someone to the hospital if you're going to overdo it and make it worse? You have to remember that not everyone's a ninja!" The boy gave a sheepish apology, one sounding so insincere that he must have done this many times before.

I shook my head of the last residues of dizziness, wincing in the pain surrounding my face and stomach. Standing up gained the attention of the nurse, who rushed over to me.

"Oh, are you okay, dear? I hope this scoundrel didn't hurt you any. I hear you already have bruising on the face and abdomen, correct?"

I nodded. "don't worry about it, he did save me after all. And I wouldn't have known how to get to the hospital on my own." The nurse clucked her tongue in annoyance.

"That still doesn't excuse your actions, young man." Turning to me again, she smiled. "Here, I'll fix you up quickly. It's only some bruising so I won't bother writing it up." She brought her hand to my face, and it began to glow a light green. Immediately I felt a soothing cool feeling replace the pain on my cheek. I even felt the swelling retract and the cut lip seal back together.

So this is what chakra can do, huh? It's really amazing. Run at super speeds, create clones, use elemental powers, even heal people like magic. I felt my face as she finished and turned to my gut. It felt just as it did before I was hit. It's hard to believe that's even possible!

I sucked in a deep breath of refreshing air as the nurse healed my abdomen. The pain simply melted away, easing off as it was replaced with that comforting numbness.

"How is that lady doing? The one that was brought in." I asked as she finished up, green glow fading into nothing.

"Don't worry, she's fine. She was only suffering from trauma and fatigue, along with some bruises on the neck. She's napping in the next room over."

I nodded in understanding. That's good to hear. Nothing bad truly happened from that escapade. I turned around to spandex-wearing guy when I heard his voice.

"The power of youth waits for no one! Since everything is fine here, I'll be off to train now!" I turned to face him. I couldn't help but feel a little... curious. Something told me I would regret it if I didn't do something.

On a whim, I called out to him. "Wait! You're one of Might Guy's students, right?" He stared at me, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah! He's my idol! The embodiment of youthfulness! Do you know him?" He sounded so proud, I had to smile.

"Not really, he just helped me and my sister out the other day."

He paused for a second, and then looked closer at me. "Oh yes! I saw you two a few days ago. You are new here?" I nodded, taking time to introduce myself.

"I'm Aurora Aukess, my sister is Cerelia, in case you meet her again." He shook my hand.

"Rock Lee, pleased to meet you!" He shouted, I cringed slightly. He's very exuberant, to put it simply. In spite of that, no, _because_ of that, I want to know something. I need to see it with my own eyes, how someone can move that fast.

"Uhh... I was wondering, how did you do that? I mean, how did you run so quickly?"

"Oh, that is simply the power of youthfulness and hard work! I train hard every day, so I keep improving, getting faster and stronger." He explained. For the first time, I realized his arms were completely covered in bandages. Is that because of injuries? And were they from his training?

That answer should satisfy me, but I'm still curious. For what? He just told me how. Yet still there is a twinge of eagerness, something telling me I need to find out more. Maybe... maybe I need to see it with my own eyes.

"Do you..." I began. He stared at me in acknowledgment

"Think... you could show me? How you train as a ninja?" I finished. He tilted his head at me. The kid must think I'm crazy. Not that I blame him. I'm probably acting like a total creeper. Maybe I should just walk away slowly...

"**Of course you can!** The power of youth is welcome for all to share! I never thought I'd see another person besides Guy-sensei interested in the fruits of youthfulness!" I jumped back in surprise.

Seriously? He actually... _wants_ to let me watch him train? I'm pretty sure most ninja would see a civilian like me as a distraction to their work, kind of like a cat sleeping on your papers when you're trying to do homework.

"Come on! I will show you the training grounds I go to!" He beckons to me, and I can't help but grin.

"Really?" I ask just to be sure. "It's okay if I watch a little?" He responded with an enthusiastic head nod.

I followed Lee out of the hospital. The problem is, as soon as we left, I was again swept away in a terrifying blur of speed. I closed my eyes tight in anticipation , and tried to ignore the ridiculous speeds at which we were now traveling

Maybe I was a little more used to it this time, but I found that I miraculously kept my consciousness That did nothing to my fear of the inhuman speeds he was traveling at.

When we did stop, it was so suddenly that I almost flew from my perch on the ninja's back. I possibly, (okay, definitely) let out an embarrassing squeak I slid down, almost stumbling when I tried to stand unsupported. Luckily, I gained my footing soon enough and turned to the energetic ninja.

"Okay!" He shouted, grinning that glaring bright smile of his. "Whenever I train, I start with a warmup! Three laps around the Konoha walls!" He zoomed off at that same speed of his. I took the time to lean against a tree. It appears he has taken me to the outskirts of the village. It kind of looked like where me and Cere were before Guy found us. Then again, all trees around here looked pretty similar to me.

Why did I ask to watch him train again? Truly an impulsive request. Good thing it wasn't anyone else. They might interpret it differently. Lee seems to be a very nice person, but I certainly would never crush on someone that... hyper... for lack of a better term. Not to mention the green spandex and orange legwarmers. I kind of see why Cerelia has such an aversion to him and his teacher. Unfortunately, judging someone on their fashion choice is a little too shallow for me.

Wait a second, did I just call my sister shallow? No, nope, no way. I can't think of Cere like that, she's my sister and damn it, I need to stop thinking mean thoughts about her! Jealousy can't be helped, I have learned to live with it, but other accusations are unnacceptable. It was bad enough that fight we had when we first got the apartment. I accused my own sister for not caring about our parents.

That train of thought was driven out of my head when Rock Lee showed back up again, panting somewhat despite his insistence that it was a "warm-up". Of course he couldn't be so fast all the time. He was only just out of the academy. Still though, to run like that at any length of time... this world is amazing.

Lee announced his next task,but I hardly payed attention to him, too busy being shocked over my own thought. I just called this world amazing! I mean, I know it is, but accompanied with that word was a feeling of wonder, of excitement, of... joy. I noticed Lee doing pushups as furiously as he could.

"fifteen... sixteen... seventeen, eighteen, nineteen! … twenty … -huff- … twenty one..." His muscles bulged under him as he kept going. I watched, entranced, as the amount of pushups got ever higher, as he switched to just one arm at a time.

Even in my world, there are a few select people who have that sort of strength. However, the sheer normalcy it emitted, as if it was quite normal to be doing a hundred pushups with one arm astounded me. Oh look, now he's started back at zero with the other arm.

And I guess it was considered normal. While there were probably a lot more civilians that ninja, Cere did talk to me about all the different ninja villages, and how they were probably as big, maybe bigger than Konoha. There must be thousands, tens of thousands of ninja out there. And Lee is just a fresh recruit really, just finished training, still a child. So many shinobi would be stronger than him.

As Lee switched form pushups to situps without even taking a breather, I shuddered at the notion that he's on the _weaker_ side of the ninja spectrum. How monstrously strong must the best of the best ninjas be then?

As much as I don't want to admit, a tiny part of me thinks I should become a kunoichi. Surely though, there isn't a need. Cerelia would overshadow anything I did.

But, a small part of me whispered, what about in that alleyway? Cerelia was not there do make a difference then.

It's true. Cerelia... she can't be there all the time for me. She can't be there all the time for everyone in trouble. What if this happened again, but without any helping ninja? The woman would die, and I as well, for I certainly wasn't any help. What if, and this is just hypothetical, me being a kunoichi managed to save one person's life?

Just one little life. All the training and blood and sweat and jealousy. Would it be worth it if I could just save one person's life? Alternatively, would killing a person be worth it? Would killing a person for a mission be worth the lives it would probably save?

The interesting thing is, if I was a ninja, at some point I most definitely would get the chance to save someone's life, or the task to take someone's life as well. As I watch Lee begin to practice his martial arts on a stump, I asked again. Is it worth it?

"What?" Lee stopped and regarded me with a curious expression. I covered my mouth with embarrassment

"Did I say that out loud?"

He nodded. "You asked me 'is it worth it?'. What do you mean by that?" Oh well, I might as well look for an answer.

"Well, what I meant was, is all the training you put into becoming a ninja, all the time and danger, worth it? What makes the ninja lifestyle worthwhile for you?"

He stopped punching the log and turned fully to me. His eyes closed in deep thought. After what seemed like at least a full minute of silence, he opened them again and spoke.

" My reasons for becoming a ninja, is so that I'm not helpless. I want to be a splendid ninja, and help people! I enjoy all this training because every bead of sweat from hard work equals a bit more strength. I'm going to be a great ninja, with only taijutsu! Even a dead last like me can do that with enough hard work!"

I smiled at his reasoning. Truly, Lee is one brave person. He can't at all do any of that magic ninja stuff, so he trains extremely hard with just physical attacks, eventually morphing into a person of such strength, his inability to use jutsu is irrelevant. Lee, is just like me in the fact that he was considered nothing, useless, dead weight. Except it's worse for him, and yet he comes out the better person.

Why am I suddenly wishing to be more like him? I don't want to be a ninja in the first place, right? Lee went back to his training, and I didn't even have the heart to argue with myself anymore. Let's just face it. After all of this, I kinda sorta do want to be a ninja.

Even if Cerelia is better than me.

Even if I make a fool out of myself.

Even if I have to kill, or go to war.

Even if I am killed in the process.

Because if I make a difference to just one person, my life will... my life will have a purpose. A meaning to it. I wouldn't be an invisible shadow to that one person, even if everyone else regards me as such.

And, who knows? Maybe things will happen differently in this world? Perhaps this world won't revolve around my sister, leaving me no room to breathe.

I settled myself and continued to watch Lee train, caught between admiration and wanting to have that kind of power myself, the power that comes from the shinobi life.

When the spandex clad boy was finished, he even gave me a ride back to the apartment, with directions, despite the obvious exhaustion he was in. Cerelia wasn't there, probably off to train. Which suited me well, as I spent the afternoon dwelling over the implications of my new found desire. Even work did not allow me to escape these thoughts.

When Cerelia did show up, it was to rejoice. Apparently she had gotten up to two clones now, though the second one was too shot and had white eyes. Cerelia was a little frustrated that it was taking so long, but still otherwise happy that it wasn't a quivering pile of crumpled human instead.

I didn't really pay attention. All I know was that I slept like a log, the shinobi-centered thoughts swirling around me in my dreams.

* * *

Sunday went as every day here had so far, at least as the normal ones had. We ate breakfast at different times, I decided not to press my luck by going outside anymore. Over the morning I've become more nervous about yesterday's thoughts.

Would I even still be allowed to take the offer? And more importantly, Cerelia said she would never stop me if I wanted to become a kunoichi, but was she telling the truth? She's acted strange whenever the topic of myself and ninjas was brought into the same sentence. Whenever I confirmed the denial myself, she would act almost relieved, and when I expressed my opinion on it without giving a no right away, like when I spoke to the Hokage, she seemed almost annoyed at me.

Is it better after all if I just keep my head down and live a normal life? '_A boring life'_, I remember Cere saying. Can I be satisfied with a lifestyle after realizing I wanted another, far different one? One I was willing to sacrifice a lot of time and energy for?

Then again, I shouldn't rush into things. Surely a normal life is one I want more. If I rush into anything, it may be the worst mistake of my life. If I went and became a ninja, only to realize I couldn't handle it, that would be a colossal squandering of my life.

"Hey Aurooorrraaa! You in there?" Cere asked my cheerfully. I blinked. I sure have been absorbed in my thoughts a lot lately. I didn't even notice Cerelia standing right in front of me!

"Yah, just barely" I murmured She shrugged at my demeanor

"Well, as long as you're okay... Anyways! I'm going to train for a while. I gotta cram as much as I can before my academy days start! It's very annoying, I thought I'd be on at least working with my kekkei genkai by now, but I haven't even unlocked it yet and I'm not even up to two perfect clones yet. It's just a matter of time if I train every day, though."

Her voice drifted off as she closed the door behind her. Whatever, I don't really want her here anyhow. Today, I want to do something different. It's Sunday, the last day before Cerelia starts at the academy. If I, and I mean if, I want to turn up there, I should at least try out that jutsu, the clone one.

I'd rather do it on the balcony, though. It must have at least been 10:00, the sun was shining, and everyone was bustling about, both below and above. No one would be paying attention to me and in the meanwhile I could enjoy the outdoors.

My hands went through the cycles, and to my delight, when I focused all of my two energies into one, the dummy appeared after only a few tries. Now to improve it...

First things first, it needs a human looking body. Something that doesn't look as stiff as a block of wood. Focusing on its flesh after five or six tries produced something akin to skin. For joints...

And that's how I squandered several hours of my time and much of my energy. It had payed off, I had a clone that stood on its legs and someone would mistake it for a person, albeit not me. It's hair was too short and gray, it's skin was too dark, it's eyes were orange with a creepy dead look to them, and the facial structure was all wrong not to mention it's knees bent the wrong way for a human.

It was the steps in which I was fixing the legs that somebody interrupted me.

"Ah, Aurora! You're here! Is your sister gone? Wait, what are you doing?" Naruto shouted cheerfully at me. In my shock, I didn't register the growl with which he spoke my sister's name.

"W-what the hell? Where the heck did you come from?" I stuttered, not being able to help myself. He shrugged, pointing downwards. I smacked my forehead. Of course, ninja.

"So is that sister of yours here? I hope she's not." Naruto scowled as he spoke. I shook my head.

"She's not, but why are you talking like that? Almost as if you're mad at her?" He snorted.

"Yah, I'm mad at her! She was being a bastard, putting you down like that! She's your sister, she should be watching out for you!" I jumped, surprised.

"But... what she said was true. I'm no good at anything.." I said, more out of habit than anything else. After all, how many times have I assured myself with those words in my head.

_Are you really worthless? After seeing Lee, how can you think you have no hope of being good at anything? _I thought to myself.

Naruto grabbed my shoulders. "You don't have to be good at many things, but you're definitely not good for nothing! Have a little self confidence!"

I smiled gently. Maybe he's right. "Thanks." I said simply. He nodded, and let himself inside the house, lying down on one of the few chairs. I followed him indoors.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in class? It's like, 1:30 I think. Naruto just grinned cheekily.

"Maaaaaaybe". I sighed.

"Well, whatever. Why are you here, then?"

Naruto pouted. "Just wanted to see what you were doing. I still can't believe you would turn down the chance to be a ninja!"

I cringed at that. This really is a once in a lifetime chance, and it's true, I'm _wasting_ it by deciding not to be a ninja. Especially since I want that now.

"..About that." He looked me in the eyes. Looking into them, I knew I could trust them. They were the eyes of someone who would be my friend. But I still had to ask, just to be sure.

"Naruto. Are we friends now? Would you be my friend, even if we only met a few days ago?" His eyes brightened dramatically, and he let out a big grin.

"Of course! Believe it!" And the funny thing is, I could believe it. Despite never having a true friend before, I knew his words were genuine. This is the kind of person who would stick by me.

With the new found trust I had, I told him what happened yesterday, at least the basics. I was surprised that he didn't know Rock Lee. They should meet sometime, I think they would get along. When I finished my story, he seemed even more happy.

"Awesome! So you do want to be a ninja! I knew it! Heh, it's gonna be awesome! You can help me pull pranks, and beat Sasuke-teme! Wait, unless yo fall for him too. Oh please don't tell me you're gonna be another fangirl.."

I sighed. "But Naruto, my problem is, I'm not sure if I can. I mean, what if I regret it?" He looked at me strangely.

"Why would you regret it?" This time I gave him a strange look.

"Well, the ninja life certainly isn't all fun and games.."

"Maybe you're right, but you've gone over it all, and you still want to, right? The fact that you were practicing jutsu when I cam over proves it. Go ahead and take a chance! You won't regret it, I'll make sure you don't!"

I stared into his encouraging eyes, his cheerful smile. He tells me to go for it, to seize the moment. All my worries still swirl around in my head, but just this once, I feel like I really can do it.

I grinned, this time it was me with the bright smile. "Yeah!"

And for the first time since coming here, no, for the first time in my life, I felt excited for what the future holds.

* * *

When Naruto left, I decided to get ready. I don't know what it was that convinced me to keep this secret from my sister, for such a short amount of time. Of course she would find out tomorrow when I showed up there. I think I just want it to surprise her.

I want to make things different this time. I'm going to try my hardest, be the best ninja I possibly could be. If that happens, then the issue of whether or not Cerelia will overshadow me will be irrelevant. I'm going to hold myself to my own standards, No more comparing with my sister!

And besides, something tells me that Cerelia might not be making as big of a shadow in this world as she had in our own.

It was with those thoughts that I used the small amount of money that I had asked for as an early paycheck (though Fumiko warned me this wouldn't be happening too often) to buy a few ninja outfits.

They were simple. A thin and breathable long sleeved black shirt, with a small gray jacket to warm me. My pants were loose brown cargo capris, and I bought the cheapest pair of ninja sandles I could find. That's all I need for now. Later I can invest in extras like bags, bandages, fishnets, and weapons.

I really can hardly believe I'm doing this. The ninja clothes I put under the regular ones. Cerelia won't notice. Just a few days ago, I was firm in my belief that the ninja life was not one for me. And a few days before that... well, we weren't even in the ninja-verse. I refuse to call it the Naruto universe, because he's a person just like anyone else.

It's easier to live in a world created by a manga if you stop thinking about people as characters. And labeling the whole world after one person just because they were the main character in the story would just cement the whole character perception. I just need to convince myself, there's no such thing as canon. The future is not set in stone. Heck our existence has probably already changed things up a bit. Anything can change, and it's even easier to convince myself because I never knew the storyline very well.

I just hope Cerelia also realizes that she probably won't be able to predict the future just by knowing the story extensively. Assumptions like that can get you injured, or maybe even killed.

When Cere came home, I asked her that.

"What? Of course I won't expect it to come true. The whole point of getting into Konoha, and getting near the characters is so that I can change the future! If it was set in stone, then where would the fun be?"

Satisfied with that answer, I made a quick supper before going to work. I briefly considered telling Fumiko of my plans, eventually deciding that it would be a good idea. She seemed surprised that I still wanted the job even though I was going to the academy too.

"Well, I'll still need money you know. You don't get paid to go to the academy." She smiled reassuringly.

"I know. It's just a lot of work. You'll have a lot of catching up, and you won't have any time to yourself if you've got work too." I nodded, thankful for her concern, but also waved away her worries. I'll make it work somehow. Training can be worked into all sorts of activities.

That night was a bit nerve wracking. Cerelia kept twitching from excitement, muttering something every once in a while.

Finally she broke down and squealed, "**Oh my gosh**, I'm so so so excited! Finally I'm gonna live my dream! Oh, all my RP friends would be _soooo_ jealous! Heck, any Naruto fan would be jealous of me! I was the only one_ smart_ enough, _dedicated_ enough to actually follow through!"

Instead of feeling down like I usually did when she had her excited bursts, I congratulated her sincerely.

"That's awesome, Cerelia. I'm glad for you." I said, without even a trace of sarcasm. Because though this whole thing was a blunder, it has given me a chance for me to reassess things. Maybe if I gave it a chance, I would like it here.

Cerelia gazed at me with joy in her eyes. "I'm happy you finally agree! Maybe you'll find your place too, and like it better than in our old world!" I grinned. She's in for a surprise tomorrow.

That night, as we went to bed, it seemed our thoughts were in the most synch that they had ever been in, despite being twins. I'm sure both of us were thinking the same thing.

_I can't wait for tomorrow_

* * *

A/N IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE READ THE NEXT SENTENCE!

**I have started taking art requests for peoples fanfictions, so please check out my profile for more information and examples of my art!** I will also list on my profile what my availability is for requests, I will probably stop myself at five at a time (not that I think that many people will want requests form me XD)

whew ^^ now that's done, onto the normal a/n talk! For people who love things actually happening, I apologize. I had every intention of having Aurora and Cerelia start their first day of school in this chapter, right up until the last paragraph. I couldn't help it, it seemed like the best place to stop. Next chapter FOR SURE though, I promise.

On another note, no, she's not going to pair up with Lee. He's just the best person I could think of to convince her to become a ninja. After all, he does well despite having no skill in gen or ninjutsu. It's very similar to the situation Aurora is in. Naturally the two are going to become good friends. Also, same for Naruto. I don't think I want them to be a pairing. They are much better as friends (sorry for the common cliché of oc being best friends with Naruto. She will have other friends too, and I really want them as friends even despite the overdone nature of it)

See you guys next update~


	5. Dawn

Waking up early was easy. In fact, it was way too easy. Cerelia sleeps like a rock. It was almost surreal, putting on my ninja outfit while my sister snores on, unaware of the surprise she will face. Then again, I can't really call it a "ninja outfit", it's just some simple clothes that I can move freely in.

I believe the academy starts at 8:00, and it's quarter after six now, so I guess I have a little time. Wanting to get there early however, I decided to eat breakfast right away. Don't want to risk Cere waking up after all.

I made an omelet loaded with vegetables. I might as well get a good meal in and we don't have any meat at the moment, being almost broke in the money department. I made sure to mix up a large salad for both our lunches, leaving half in the fridge for Cere, along with her breakfast. One of these days, maybe after my first real paycheck, I can go to that Ichiraku place... the ramen was amazing!

Trying not to drool as I remembered that particular food item, I made my way out of the apartment, wordlessly navigating the staircases until I could greet the fresh air on the ground level. The sun was rising, as it usually was when I awoke. It left a golden outline over the tops of the buildings, casting the streets in a low, but rising light. Beauty like that never gets old. A pity I can't really enjoy it with all the houses in the way. Maybe when I get to the academy...

Right, time to remember how to get there. Naruto gave me some kind of direction, though it was quite hard to understand.

"_You turn at '__Konoha Armory__'__, head straight 'till you get to the tea leaf store, then go right... um, then it's a left at the book store with the blue window panes, then straight and you'll be there! Oh wait.. you gotta go right again at '__Kyna and Lok's'__, it's a pharmacy, never been in it though..."_

I hope that's good enough. I know my way around a little bit better now, but still not nearly as well as I'd like to be. Should be fine so long as I remember which stores to turn at, I should be oka- hey wait, there's _Konoha Armory_! In all it's gray-walled, dull glory. Sweet, now we're getting somewhere!

Trying not to miss any of the aforementioned landmarks, I kept my internal thought process to a minimum. Though I do have to ask myself the question, does Cere know where the academy is? I certainly hope so. Then again, she might want to be late on purpose, I wouldn't put it past her as a way to get that Sasuke guy's attention.

It was a very nerve wracking walk, I spent the entire time hoping I hadn't missed a building. Needless to say, when I saw a giant sign with the words "Konoha Ninja Academy" come up, I was more than relieved. Luckily for me, it wasn't all that far from our apartment. In fact, the route should be pretty easy to remember.

I wasted no time rushing in. I should be really early still. Maybe if I'm lucky, no one else will be there and I can practice that jutsu again. I don't even have one clone after all, and I haven't even attempted other jutsu. Not to mention my lack of physical prowess... I'll definitely need to ask the teacher for extra help. It will be a miracle if I graduate.

After taking a bit longer than I would like, I finally found the right classroom. Ah, how nice it would be to have a better sense of direction. Regardless, I did find the right room, and surprisingly enough, the light was on and everything. I didn't think the teacher would be in yet.

Walking into the classroom was very reminiscent of regular schools back home. It had the same old chalkboard at the front, the same old desks. It even had an old looking P.A speaker on the wall. I discovered my original assumption was correct. There was no teacher, only one kid sitting near the back by the window.

Sasuke Uchiha, I realized. I just have the best luck, don't I? I really hope he doesn't usually come to school early. With that thought, I took the seat two rows in front of him. Hey, I like window seats, and no black haired kid glaring daggers is going to deter me from taking one.

Speaking of which, why does he feel the need to glare at me?I move my attention around the room, taking it all in. After several minutes, it gets pretty boring and I still can't shake the feeling of the glare. I try to ignore it, but it really is rather rude. I can just feel it burning into the back of my head, as if he thinks he can kill me with his eyes. That made me roll mine. Great to already have someone hate me, before they even met me.

Instead of dwelling on it, I decided to gaze out the window. It was a pretty nice view. I could see the yard, some trees, practice targets, wooden dummies, and the like. Beyond that was the now risen sun, giving a fresh clean light onto the dew laden grass. Yet again, I marveled at how beautiful this place was.

"Hey, you." I heard an annoyed voice behind me. Was Mr. Hate-the-world speaking to me? I wanted to ignore him, but there's no reason to make him even more hostile. After all, he's a classmate now. And so, I turn to him with a polite "Yes?".

"You're not in this class." He stated, giving me another glare. He probably expects me to scurry off, apologizing like a frightened rabbit. Too bad for him, Cere's the only one who's glare can scare me.

" I'm a new student, as is my sister. If you have a problem with that, then talk to the Hokage." I probably shouldn't have worded it like that, but he's not exactly being tactful either. It felt nice to give him a curt response. I spend too much time letting the few people who acknowledge me push me around. He may not deserve the attitude based only on the question (more like statement. He acts like he knows everything worth knowing) but he's also been glaring at me for a good fifteen minutes.

I tried to turn back around, but he spoke up again. "Explain." He said, in what I would definitely consider an arrogant tone. I rolled my eyes again, this time he saw me, and he gave a more pointed glare.

In response, I shrugged. "The two of us just moved into Konoha, and the Hokage let us enroll for this class."

Of course, I really didn't feel inclined to tell him that we had absolutely no previous training. He'll find out soon enough, and he's already being very annoying about the whole thing.

Sasuke was now giving me a suspicious glare. I sighed. "Do you really need to glare at me? I didn't know my mere presence inspired such hate in complete strangers."

This time he was the one to roll his eyes. "Hn" He grunted. I took that as a sign of his irritation with this delightful "conversation", and shrugged, turning back to the window.

I think he may have kept staring, though it might be a little self centered to think so. Cerelia always talked a lot about how awesome he was, and how every girl adored him and he was at the top of his class. So why would someone as important, or popular, talk to me? Why would anyone talk to me is a better question.

It's probably because I'm the only other one in the room and he doesn't recognize me. That's a reasonable answer. I resign myself to looking out the window some more.

I continued my stare, slowly taking in every detail. Maybe I wouldn't normally spend so much time looking out at the world. Then again, it is pretty awkward with that Sasuke kid behind me. Who didn't even give his name before interrogating me. I didn't say mine either though, so I guess we are even.

Not to mention, I just can't wait for Cere to show up. Maybe if I huddle down she won't notice me at first, and I'll get to see what she plans to do to him. She's so confident that her plan will work, and nothing she's ever been confident in has failed thus far, but... it's so full of holes. I should be supporting her, but I can't help but think it will turn out disastrous. Maybe I should just wait and see, Cere will prove me wrong for sure.

I wasn't aware what the time was, but apparently it was coming closer to class time, because other students began to file in. There were several people who came in, chatting amongst themselves. I could almost confuse them for people in my world. An interesting thing to note is that the females of the group were giving adoring glances at Sasuke, but otherwise staying out of his hair. I guess the fangirls aren't always completely mental.

Well, let me correct myself. _Some_ of them aren't always completely mental. Only a few minutes after, three girls burst in, screeching like a couple of birds. I think this is my first real look at some genuine anime girls. One with platinum blonde hair pulled back in a big poofy ponytail, save for a lock over her eyes. The ponytail went very far down her back, so including the way it puffed over her head first, it must be at least down to her legs. And on top of that, her blue eyes didn't seem to have any pupils.

The next one had mid-back length hair, thick bangs parting over a large forehead. Most notably, the hair was a vivid pink. Coupled with her green eyes, she was rather pretty. I realized her as the other person I remembered from the manga, Sakura. She was easy because her name matched her hair and I remember it being long like that. The third girl had ocean-blue hair in pigtails that reached her chest. Her eyes were a darker midnight blue with an impossibly bright sparkle to them.

Really, I couldn't help but stare. It's true that I have grown up with a sister who has naturally black and red streaked hair, but it's still a strange sight for me. I didn't have much time to wonder about that however, as they soon exploded.

Well, not really. But they did rush to claim the seats directly surrounding Sasuke, and began equal parts arguing with each other, and cooing over the poor kid. I stifled a laugh, hiding a snort behind my hand. I don't want them turning on me. After all, they seem like the determined type, if their current actions to the stoic boy was any indication. The Uchiha must have heard me though, because he turned at me with another glare. I gave him a quick shrug. Not my fault it was funny.

Other children began to filter through that door, and it seemed they were used to it. Some more of the girls began to crowd around Sasuke, though mostly they were fine with just staring at him and sighing. In between said stares they would talk to their friends about various subjects. At least they had lives, and were fairly harmless about the crush they all shared. Those three on the other hand, were constantly bickering and making these high pitched keening noises. They were indeed the embodiment of the term 'fangirl'.

It was then that I turned to the side and saw... a kid with a puppy! Is that even allowed? It's really cute, anyways. I almost let out a squeal of adoration, much like the idiots behind me. Maybe later I'll go up and pet it. As all the seats filled in, I really wondered where Naruto was. I checked the clock up on the wall. It's almost class time now.

Just before the bell rung, Naruto came crashing in. And I mean it literally. He bounced off the side of the door frame and flew careening into the nearest desk holding a rather sleepy student who was unceremoniously awakened. Not discouraged at all from the mayhem he was causing, Naruto leaped up and scanned the room furtively. I had to raise my eyebrow at this. What is he looking for?

He then looked back at me, suddenly shouting in victory,

"Ah, there you are! I was looking for you!" I couldn't help but smile in reply. He ran over and sat in the empty seat beside me.

"Hey, Naruto." I greeted, waving my hand slightly "I guess you enjoy running into things, huh? Two out of the three times I see you, you hurt yourself".

He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I don't _try_ to hurt myself..."

The excitable blond suddenly jerked around, staring at someone behind me. I looked back to see him giving Sasuke a squinted glare, combined with an annoyed scowl. Surprisingly enough, Sasuke wasn't glaring back full force, but seemed to be thinking about something. I caught him glance back and forth between Naruto and then myself.

I poked my new friend's side.

"What are you staring at him for?" I asked, noting that for a full 30 seconds he had still not wavered in his glare. Immediately the goggle bearing child groaned and turned to me.

"No, not you too? Please, please, pleeaaasssse don't tell me you've fallen for the bastard!" I gave him my best scowl.

"Why would you think that? I wouldn't crush on someone just because they look pretty. Besides, I came to class early and for a good 10 minutes he just sat and glared at me, like there was nothing better for him to do. He's pretty irritating as far as I know."

I paused in my rant to see Naruto look extremely relieved. "Great! You can help me show him up, then! I was worried for a second you would turn out like all the other girls. Yep, we'll set him straight!"

I sighed at that. Has he already forgotten my current incompetence? "You know I'm in no position to show anybody up. But when you do beat him, I'll be cheering."

Naruto nodded at my encouragement, about to open his mouth and reply when the bell rang, loud and buzzing. My head whipped to the front to see a young man at the front of the room. Evidently, he was the teacher. I can't believe I didn't notice him come in. Another thing I need to work on if I'm going to be serious about this ninja thing.

The class quieted down as he cleared his throat and greeted the students. I ducked my head down, hoping he didn't make a big deal about me being a new addition. As that thought crossed my mind, I wondered where Cerelia was.

Did she somehow come in quietly? I would have bet a million dollars that she would have at least tried to make a big entrance. I scoured the entire classroom, looking for a black and red streaked head. It wasn't hard to realize her absence, with everyone in their seats. Cerelia was indeed late. I can't help but wonder if this is on purpose. I hope not, even Cerelia should know better than to be late on the first day of school.

"Well class, we have a new student with us today. Why don't you come to the front and introduce yourself?" He announced, gesturing at me to come up. Feeling a little nervous from all the stares, I made my way up with my eyes glued firmly in front of me.

As I came by his side, he spoke quietly. "So she decided not to take up the offer? The Hokage was betting that your sister Aurora was going to come." I smiled slightly. That old man expected me to show up this whole time? I wonder how he knew. Maybe with old age and insane Hokage ninja powers, he also gets psychic powers! Or maybe he's just really good at reading people.

"Ah, well actually that's me, I decided to show up. Cerelia seems to be running late, but she's coming for sure." I replied, equally quiet. Most of the students seemed unable to hear us, not being proper ninjas yet. The teacher, who's name I still didn't know, raised his eyebrows in surprise. Then he gestured to the class, reminding me of my reason to be up there in the first place.

"Oh, right," I chuckled slightly, and turned to the group. I gulped, this classroom environment, everyone staring at me, reminds me of past school days. Nervousness set in, I can't remember a time where I had a whole group of people's attention. I clenched my fist and stood firm, hoping with all my heart that I would not stutter.

"Right, well, my name's Aurora Aukess, um, me and my twin sister moved here recently. She's probably on her way now." I looked to the teacher for permission to go back down. He smiled and shook his head.

"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?" I sighed, and squared my shoulders. What does he expect me to say?

"Well, uhh... I haven't actually had any ninja training so I don't expect to pass graduation, but I'll try my best, so, don't worry about me being any sort of new competition. Um, I'm not really bad at most things but I'm not really good at anything either. That's pretty much it." I nodded to the class, and then glanced at the teacher.

"Great, glad to have you in the class, Aurora. My name is Iruka Umino, you can cell me Iruka-sensei. I hope that you work hard and get as much learning out of this class that you can. You may sit down now." Gratefully I hurried to my seat beside Naruto. I gave him a tiny grin as I sat down. He smiled back and gave me a thumbs up.

And, as soon as everyone was settled, he launched into teacher mode.

"Now, we can't relax, even if it is only the second week of school. As you know, this year we are focusing mainly on bringing your physical skills up to speed rather than on theory, unlike past years. By now you should all know the rules of the Shinobi. However, review is always good, and for our new student's sake, can someone please recite the three most important rules of ninja conduct?"

He looked about the room as several hands went up. "Ah... how about you, Manami-chan?" I turned to see the blue haired girl who had come in with Sakura and the blonde so loudly. I half wondered if she was a character in the series as she carefully repeated the rules. Then, I shook off those thoughts, berating myself for placing people as characters again. No thinking about the series! It doesn't exist anymore, and _everyone_ is a real person, regardless of whether they showed up in the manga or not.

I concentrated on listening to the words being spoken again. It was said for my own benefit, after all. I really hope they don't have any written tests, I would fail them all for sure!

"...inobi must always follow their superiors instructions, completing the mission is-" The girl was interrupted by a loud slam. My eyes snapped to the source, as did everyone else, There, with her fingers on the door handle, having made the noise when said door was slid open too fast, was a victorious Cerelia.

Right away I could tell this was all planned out for her. For one, her hair was at its finest, glossy smooth and a few strands carefully brushed to the side to look "naturally cute". She was wearing makeup, nothing major (probably to uphold the natural look she's going for) , just to make her eyelashes even longer, her eyes even brighter, and her complexion even livelier. Her clothes were completely wrinkle free and perfect. Her short purple skirt and revealing tube top were accompanied with fishnet over her stomach and matching black bracelets.

Personally, I'm glad she's not posing right now. I see her give a not-so-subtle glance in Sasuke's direction before prancing up to the teacher.

"I'm sorry about being late, sensei! I slept in, and had to run all the way here!" She explained, pouting. I smacked my forehead. Since when has she been so theatrical? Not to mention it was an obvious lie, even Cere would be sweating a bit, and breathing unevenly. Iruka seemed to share my thoughts, he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Not wanting to bother with it, he just gave her a stern expression. "You need to be on time, especially on your first day! I'll let you off because you're new, but this better not become a habit. I don't stand for tardiness in this classroom."

Did he just scold her? I gaped openly. Our old teachers had always been so enamored by her politeness and intelligence, they hardly gave her a second glance when late. This is probably just because he doesn't know her yet. Give it a week or two, she'll be above the rules in no time. Until then, I can enjoy her surprised expression at being told off.

She regained her composure as the teacher began talking again. "Well, as you've already interrupted the class, go ahead and introduce yourself." Cere flipped her hair and smirked to the class.

"My name is Cerelia Aukess, and don't you forget it! I like training, and beating up the overconfident asses of the world. I dislike squealing fangirls," Here she gave a sharp glare to the group surrounding Sasuke "the duckbutt they follow around," Here she smirked at Sasuke, and I think he wanted to launch himself across the desk and smash her face in because I heard his chair scraping slowly and a very low growl of anger " and people who don't know what's good for them."

She finished, and by the way she glanced at Naruto and then away again, I assumed that's who she was talking about. Luckily he didn't notice, though the whole time he was scowling at her.

"Right, Cerelia. As I told your sister earlier, I am Iruka Umino, Iruka-sensei to you. Take your seat and please refrain from insulting your classmates in the future." He said pleasantly, accompanied with a sharp edge at the last sentence.

Cere didn't seem like she was paying attention, I assume she already knew his name from the series, but she suddenly paused midway though her strut down the aisle between desks. Turning her head to the teacher, and then back to the classroom, she mumbled, "Wait... sister?". Her eyes scanned the room until they found mine, and she jumped back in surprise.

Iruka-sensei cleared his throat, and luckily Cerelia didn't want to make a big scene just yet. Once she finished gawping at me, she shook her head and walked past, giving me a meaningful stare. She definitely wants a talk after wards. She took a seat as close to Sasuke as she could, which was several seats to his right. She winked at the spiky haired boy, causing him to look away in anger, though by the way Cere smiled in success I don't think that's what she thought.

After a small amount of review, which was mostly new for me, we all went out the other door that led outside. Luckily today was not a sparring day, though Iruka-sensei did tell us that on those days we could sit them out until we are ready to participate.

For now, we were practicing our throwing skills. Most of the kids were working on their kunai throwing, to varying degrees of success, while the few who had it mastered from last year were working on shurikens. This of course included Sasuke, to Naruto's dismay. He could be heard grumbling as he threw his kunai haphazardly at the bulls eye.

Iruka-sensei was kept busy instructing me and Cerelia on the finer details about posture and procedure. I was surprised that he would put his class on hold just to teach us things we should have known years ago. Neither of us were hitting the target as the teacher constantly fixed our positions, which seemed to be making Cerelia grumpier by the second. She was throwing far closer to the target than I was at least, though I'm surprised she hasn't gotten it already.

I tried my hardest to listen to Iruka-senseis advice. Soon, I was correcting my posture on my own, though I still slipped out of it all the time and didn't have nearly the force or precision to get anywhere near the target.

After an hour of that we had a five minute break and Iruka congratulated us.

"Well, Cerelia, you seem to be naturally adept at this and actually managed to hit the target a few times. This is good, but you need to keep your stance and throw the way I show you. It may be harder now and a different way gets you better results, but in the long run, this is the best form to utilize your strength and give you the most control." She looked slightly put out, but still smiling from the praise at the beginning.

"And, Aurora, I'm glad to see you following directions. You've got the right motions, just make sure to hold them and soon they'll feel natural. I can see you're trying very hard even if nothing made it in yet. I would suggest building up your strength, you'll eventually need to hit targets from double that distance to graduate." He said, very nicely considering how bad I was. I couldn't help but blush from the compliment, and ducked my head as I thanked him. I almost didn't notice Cerelia give me a sharp glare. What the heck did I do?

After that we went over some Taijutsu moves. It all went over my head, so Iruka-sensei just had me and my sister partnered up, repeating simple punches and blocks, switching roles every so often. I noticed that Cerelia really wasn't any better at it than me, and really seemed just as awkward with the moves at first. When Iruka's back was turned, Cere suddenly whipped out her left arm as her right was already blocked by mine and got me in the gut.

I yelped. "What was that for, Cere? We're only supposed to use one arm at a time for now!" She shrugged carelessly.

" You have to be prepared for the unexpected if you want to be a ninja, _Aura_." She spat with venom in her voice. I shrunk back in fear. Why was she angry at me? She's my only sister, and as perfect as she is I can't bear her being mad at me. When Cerelia is mad it means I did something very wrong.

It was at lunch time that she finally came up to me. I was eating with Naruto, mostly because he was the only person I really knew there, when she came stomping up to me. I stood to greet her and she pulled me away by the wrist, behind a tree.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!" She screeched at me. I stepped back uncertainly.

"W-what do you mean, Cere?" She glared again, and I looked away as a flash of fear went through me.

"You know what I mean! What are you doing here, at the academy? You're messing everything up! If you weren't here then the teacher wouldn't be chewing me out! No teachers have ever done that before!"

I shrugged slightly. "I didn't have anything to do with it, Cere, honest! It's just because he doesn't know you yet."

She growled angrily. "maybe, but I still want to know what you're doing here. I thought you didn't want to be a ninja!"

"Well, over the past few days I changed my mind. And you said that you wouldn't stop me if I wanted to try it..." Cerelia flipped her head in annoyance.

"I guess I did say that, but only because I didn't think you were actually going to do it! You know, when you're here, I can't get close to Naruto without him glaring at me! My plan was to get everyone who matters here to like me, and you're making it so I can't!"

I thought I heard a distant chuckle after that, but I couldn't see anybody nearby. " What do you want me to do about it?" I asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"I want you to quit. Don't come back to the class tomorrow. Can't you please do that for your twin sister, who has been taking care of you since we were toddlers?" She had stopped shouting at me, and was now asking, no, pleading at me. I trembled. Why does she want me to stop so bad? I don't get it!

But... I already decided that I was going to become a kunoichi. I already told Naruto I was coming, and I really don't want to disappoint my only friend now.

"I'm sorry, Cerelia. I already resolved to come here. I'm going to try my best, and even if I don't pass, I'll be better than I was before. I'm staying, Cere. I want to do this now too. You've never had a problem with us being in the same class before, it'll be just like middle school, except with ninja stuff." I reasoned, she seemed to be calmed down by those words.

"Oh, I'm sorry for blowing up on you. I just know that the ninja life is not for you and I didn't want you to ruin your life!" She explained. At that moment I felt a tiny seed of doubt at her words. She's my sister though, of course she's just concerned about me...

"Look, I guess I can deal with you being here, as long as you don't pass. Now that I think about it, it might be good for you to pick up some self-defense for when I'm gone on a mission. I wouldn't want you to get mugged." She hugged me after that. I leaned into it, happy to have the conflict resolve though it was more like her forgiving me than the other way around. I really don't feel I'm the one who should be forgiven here, but I would rather forget about it.

"Just... stay away from the classmates while I'm befriending them. I don't want you to jeopardize my popularity. It's harder to rise to the top when no one knows who I am yet." She giggled and ruffled my hair as if she hadn't just screamed at me in anger. She sauntered away and the lunch bell rang.

I groaned. This makes things more complicated. I didn't know Cere could be so... territorial about her status. I haven't done a single thing to affect her, any bad reaction was by her own hand!

Wait, Cerelia never does anything like that! She's always right! Does that mean that she's right this time? No, that can't be. Even I can't perceive any of the negative feedback as my fault. Well, save for Naruto's reaction. That's my fault entirely because if I never met him that day, then he wouldn't hate Cere so much.

I was jostled from my thoughts as the tree I was behind shook and someone jumped down from it. I locked eyes with Sasuke, who had probably heard every word and was most likely the source of that laugh earlier. He gave me a gloating smirk and walked back to where the class was smugly. I glared at his retreating back. That stupid eavesdropper heard it all!

I jogged back as well, fuming inside, and then being confused at my anger. What am I mad about? He only saw me get yelled at by my sister. I guess it's pretty embarrassing that he saw my weakness, but I put it out of my mind. Instead, after the class was over for the day, I talked to Naruto about it. I just mentioned the eavesdropping part and he seemed mad as well.

"I bet that Sasuke-teme was looking for blackmail! I'll beat him up!" I smiled at his antics.

"Don't worry about it Naruto, there wasn't much to overhear. I just got mad because he was acting all smug and not even hiding that he heard us."

"Still! He makes me so mad, I can't wait until I actually manage to prank him! So far my attempts have all backfired, I bet it will be better if you help out!" He cheered. I shook my head at him.

"For the last time, Naruto. I'm not going to help you prank someone until I'm fast enough to get away."

We both laughed, enjoying each others company until we had to part ways.

* * *

A few days later we got a message from the Hokage. It came in by messenger bird, almost making me drop the supper I was making. It was a letter detailing that since we were both students at the academy, we would get a monthly allowance to cover the necessities.

"You should still keep your job though, Aura." Cere commented after we had read it together. "You know, I wanted to make a few additions to my outfit, so I won't be wearing the exact same clothes every day. We'll need some extra money for those kinds of accessories."

"Well, I don't know, I'll need a lot of time for training, and if I don't really need the money, it might be better to let it go," I reasoned, " I probably would either not have any free time, or not be able to build up my strength."

I saw a strange glint in Cerelia's eye as she replied, "Well, you didn't think you were going to pass anyways! Just keep the job and forget about extra training." I frowned at her comment. Did she not want me to do my best?

"How about we split the job? Then we'll have extra money to share and it won't be as bad? I think that Fumiko-san would go for that," I suggested, only now I noticed the angry look in my sister's eyes. I gulped, backing up slightly.

"What are you suggesting, Aura! That I do some normal, boring, back-home style job? No way!" She let out a sharp laugh, one without much real humor in it. "Besides, I have better things to do with my time, like set the story straight, and fix all the characters up."

I looked down. Why can't she compromise with me? I guess whatever she is doing with her time is probably more important than me, but I still want some free time as well. Something about the wording she used scares me. She wants to "fix" the characters? What if they aren't broken? People make mistakes and bad things happen, but is the way Cere plans going to actually help them?

No, no, I know Cerelia will do the right thing. She always knows what she is doing. What my sister is doing is admirable, right? She is trying to prevent a painful and hard future and change it for the better.

A small voice in my head asks me a question. _If Cerelia is so perfect, then why is she acting like this? Why does she hurt you?_ Instead of voicing these thoughts, I corrected her.

"Cere, they aren't characters in a story anymore, and this isn't a fictional story, you know that."

"I guess, but that doesn't mean they can't be fixed. Anyways, I ought to get going, see yah, Aura!"

She turned and closed the door behind her noisily. I sighed. Might as well get ready for work...

* * *

By the end of the second week I knew something had to be done. I was nowhere near the level of strength I needed to be. All I worked on at school was the skill and accuracy aspect, but what good is accuracy if your arm isn't strong enough to make the throw? Not to mention I'm still nowhere near any bulls eye. I just don't completely miss the target as often.

Surprisingly, Cere isn't doing so good either, at least not in weapons or Taijutsu. It's strange to see her struggle with anything she puts her mind to, though for sure she is much better than me.

The point is, what I'm doing right now isn't working. Yes, these things take time, however I don't have time. I'm only falling further and further behind the class, so I need a better plan to build my strength. I need to confront the one person who I know is good at training.

And that is, of course, why I'm wandering around town looking for green spandex. Either of the only two people who would ever wear that getup should work. I just don't want to run into that pale eyed boy. He was very condescending, I really don't want him to hear about how I want training advice. However, it's not like I know him... so if it needs to be done, I'll do it. At least Cerelia won't be there as well.

Since I made a point every day to do some sort of town exploration, I've been learning the basic locations of most important places. At the very least I can find my way back to home base (because I refuse to call it 'home' yet). It's kind of funny, really, that I would be stubborn in this regard. I'll make the best of being in this world, but above all it is not home.

Even though you would think someone wearing something as flamboyant as a bright green and orange combo would be easy to find, they really, really, weren't. I had searched for so long, in the most common places for people to be. Konoha is really big, so I guess it makes sense. I probably haven't seen even half of the city, so without the technology we had back home, it would make sense to have trouble.

I was tired, and frustrated when night fell. I had no luck finding either eccentric ninja. There was one last place I neglected to check, however. I made my way to the training area where I watched Lee the other day. I would have checked it earlier, however I figured if they were training they wouldn't stay in the same place long.

Luckily for me, I immediately noticed the telltale clothing of Lee and his sensei. Unfortunately, they had two other companions. Yes, that boy with the pale eyes... now that I see him again, I think I remember. Um.., Nay, Nih, Neh-Neji, right, it was Neji. I don't think I ever caught the girl's name.

The super senses of a ninja prevented me from the awkwardness of having to announce my presence. Neji immediately stood up from his perch on a tree stump to cross his arms and glare condescendingly at me. The girl raised an eyebrow in curiosity, not bothering to leave her activity of whipping giant handfuls of shuriken at various targets (and hitting them all perfectly I added with just a hint of jealousy). It was Guy and Lee that stood up to meet me.

"Hey, Aurora-chan, how are you on this youthful and sunny day?" Lee greeted with a smile. I smiled back, feeling a little relieved at his friendliness.

"What brings you here, miss Aukess?" Guy-sensei asked, rather politely considering his enthusiastic personality.

"Oh, did you come to watch us train?" Lee questioned.

I let a small smile escape. "Well, sort of. I was actually wondering... ah, well, do you know any good strength building exercises for someone who's really weak? I kind of wanted to get a little stronger, and figured you guys were the best to ask." I say a little quickly, wanting to be shy but wanting more to be taken seriously. I made sure to keep eye contact.

The four stared a little, Neji's frown deepening, and the girl turning again to glance at me. The only warning I got was a quick facepalm from the girl.

"**Naturally! Of course, you have come to just the right place! Oh, how wonderful, the power of youth is spreading farther and manifesting itself deeper in the youth of Konoha!**" Guy-sensei burst out. His number one fan wasn't far behind.

"**I just knew you would take a bigger interest in training, Aurora-chan! What was it that made you decide to explore your own youthful strength?**"

I carefully took a step back. "Ah, well-"

"Don't tell me you are actually attending the academy like your irritating sister." Neji cut in sharply. I frowned slightly. Really, what business of this is his?

"Sorry, I am. I thought it would be a good experience for me."

He gave me an inquisitive look, so I elaborated. "Even though I'm weak and unskilled I'd like to give it my best shot. Sure, I most likely won't pass, at least I'll learn a little self defense. There's nothing wrong with that."

Neji stared at me a little longer, before speaking up again. "Why is your character different?"

"excuse me?" I spoke, confused.

"You were much different when I saw you before, with your sister. You reminded me of my cousin." He spoke the title with venom in his voice. I wonder why he hates his cousin? "Now, however, you are much more confident. Is it an act? Or do you have some kind of-"

This time it was Neji's turn to be interrupted. "Don't interrogate the poor girl! She's come for training advice, and it is my duty as a teacher to impart learning!" Guy-sensei shouted, rescuing me from having to answer to the sharp boy. I wish it were just an act, though unfortunately that isn't the case.

"Right! Well, if you really want to get from civilian strength to a last year academy student, here's what you should do..." I listened with rapt attention. If I can follow this advice and get stronger, I might be able to get the hang of other things, like actually using chakra.

I was a little overwhelmed by the plan they Guy-sensei and Lee had set up for me. It would definitely take up all of my free time! But, they assured me that it's the best way because it'll get my speed and endurance up as well. Still... that exercise may kill me yet. Not to mention in a few weeks I will have to get weights added in.

I sighed, but happily so. This is my first real chance to prove that I can be good as well. I want to show the world how hard working I can be! Maybe people will even acknowledge me here. Now that I think about it though, they already do, even though I'm pathetically weak and an absolute nobody. Heck, even Neji in all his condescending glory realized I existed, and even noticed the difference between me with my sister, and me by myself.

I sat with the genin team briefly, learning finally that the girl was names Tenten. When I left for home base, and they to their own homes (after all, it was already nightfall when I confronted them) it was in good spirits. I didn't waste any time starting on my training plan. I wrote everything down so I wouldn't forget, and confused my sister by starting my pushups.

Sadly, I could only do about 10 girl pushups before collapsing. Girl pushups being the kind where you put you knees to the ground and do the pushup, rather than from the toes like normal pushups.

"What do you think you're trying to do, Aura? Do you actually think you can get stronger like that?" I flinched at her harsh tone.

"Well...Cere, um, how else am I supposed to be building my strength up? I'm trying to catch up to the class." She snorted, I frowned. I have been feeling more and more shy around Cere lately. It's a normal thing, but when we are by ourselves, I can usually get a hold of myself. Maybe it's the way she has acted lately whenever me being in the academy is raised.

"Well, don't build your strength. It's a useless endeavor. You aren't passing anyway, right? You shouldn't try to be something you aren't." I looked away in shame. Is she right? Am I trying to be something I'm not? Cerelia is always right. But now... I just don't want to believe her.

"Oh, don't look like that! I'm not trying to be the bad person here. I'm just looking out for you, so you don't get hurt! I just don't want you to do all of this ninja nonsense because I know that isn't your real dream. I know you want to live a normal life, but you feel you can't do that here and that's why you thought you should be a ninja."

I sighed shakily. Her words really got to me. I guess she does care about me, though it sounds less than sincere. It's just that.. what she's saying isn't the case!

"Cere... I'm sorry. But I actually do want to do this. I want to try my best, just like you want to try with all your might to pass. Even if I don't have much of a chance of passing."

Cere snorted. "Hah, that's an understatement! Look, maybe if I show you just how far away you are you'll reconsider." She hastily brushed her ridiculously long and enviably shiny hair behind her, and got on the ground.

"Now remember, Aura, these are real pushups, not those pansy girl ones you were doing." She said loftily, making me cringe. Now I have to watch just how far Cere has raised above me. Back home, she could do 20 girl pushups to my 10, and she could do 10 real pushups to my 5. Just how better is she now?

To both our surprise, Cere was sweating by 5. She was shaking and straining by 8, and collapsed at... 11! She glared at her arms, before sitting up confidently as if nothing had happened.

"You see? Piece of cake. I could do more... but I wanted to spare you the humiliation. Then again, it's only been a couple weeks. I guess I can forgive you for being deluded. Go ahead, I guess. Pretend to your hearts content. I promise not to say _I told you so_." Cerelia stood up and walked to the door.

"I need to find a certain Uchiha who's sure to be brooding all alone. Due to a certain _somebody_, I've been too busy worrying to start my plan." She slammed the door behind her, and I sighed in relief.

"She's gone" I whispered to myself sadly. Why do I feel such relief that my sister, the only family I have now, has left? More importantly, why does she say these things to me? A lot of it is true, but some of it feels less than genuine. For example, why did she pretend that she could do many more pushups than the reality. I saw her shoulders shaking. She was exhausted as I was.

What surprises me more is that she couldn't already do 30. Everything readily falls to her, especially when it comes to ability. She has been training most days for the past two weeks (since we got here, really)- not enough to make a difference if one was normal, but this is Cerelia here. So why hasn't she gotten miles better? She seemed just as surprised as I was, which somehow makes me more nervous about the whole thing.

I just wish I knew why she doesn't want me to be a ninja so bad that she would resort to cruel words. I want to believe what she says, that she's only looking out for me, but that statement seems less and less true the more she uses it.

* * *

A/N time! I am truly sorry about the length of time it took for this chapter to come out, and how none of my other stories have been updated either. I have no real excuse. My writing urges come and go with the wind. I just really want to make sure I continue these stories. I've never really made any longer than 4-5 chapters (except for my discontinued pokemon story which had 7, but also has a much much smaller wordcount)

The point is, you guys deserve more! I want to get to at least the 10th chapter on one of my stories!

Also, don't forget to review ;) it really does help a lot! The reason I got to work and shat out the last 3 pages is because I decided to read the reviews for this story! It filled up my inspiration ^v^

**Don't forget, I'm still taking request art! For anyone who's interested in getting some art drawn for their fanfiction, please check out my profile for more information, plus examples of my work C: **


	6. Betrayal

Today has been an exhausting day, one like any other in the past three weeks. I'm a little proud that I was able to keep the training up just like I had promised myself when this whole thing started. I readjusted the tiny and light weights I had already been using for a week over my arms and legs. All together, they only weighed two pounds. However, to my untrained, weak self, it was unbearable by the end of the day.

Not to mention I still have to keep up the constant push ups, sit ups, and jogs. But, I'm pleased to already notice a difference when the weights come off, albeit a small one. Not yet enough to compete with the others... but that's no reason to lose hope.

The only problem was work. I made my way there now, going to the back of the store to get my apron. This job took hours out of my time, time that I desperately need to train. However, with Cerelia's spending habits lately... we need this job. I really don't know what's gotten into her, she was never a big spender at home. But now, whenever she comes back from training, it's with some sort of vendor food or treat. Often it's accompanied by a new bracelet, or a pair of earrings.

I can't help but feel that Cerelia doesn't want me to succeed. She protested my idea to quit the job, and tries to distract me whenever I'm training at home. Lately, I've been looking for somewhere secluded to do my usually-indoors exercise. I just can't figure out why Cere would want me to fail the academy, not that I really need the help.

Since she is my sister, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. It might be just a coincidence, after all. There is also the small chance that she honestly thinks she is doing me a favor. Innocent until proven guilty, right?

I shook the stray thoughts from my head and set to clearing a table of its dishes. Chizue, a coworker who shared most chores with me, was working on setting the dishes up on the table to the right of mine. It wasn't very busy so I greeted her with a polite hello.

"Oh, hey Aurora-chan, what's up?" She smiled pleasantly. Chizue is a laid back kind of girl, with few concerns in her life. She was pretty in a classic princess kind of way, with long golden curls and clear sky-blue eyes set in a heart-shaped rosy face. Combined with her small form and cheerful personality, she had become fairly popular among the regular villagers. She was almost like my sister, though in a more subdued and humble way.

"Nothing much, just a little overworked." I chuckled as she gave me a strange look.

"What are you talking about? You just got here... oh right, your ninja training! How's that going, anyhow?" Chizue laughed and flipped her curly blonde hair out of her eyes. I envied all the free time she must have. Then again, it's not as if anyone is forcing me to do these things.

"It's not too good. Since I need lots of training to catch up, and I need to sleep, eat, go to school, and work here on top of that, I don't get any free time." Chizue grimaced and stuck her tongue out at my reply.

"Wow, I sure don't envy you. Why don't you just quit this job?" I brought my box of dishes to the kitchen and returned with a cart of clean ones before answering.

"I want to, but my sister and I need the money. If I could just get an hour or two freed up for myself, then I wouldn't be so stressed and I could get more training done in the hours set out for it." I explained, and Chizue nodded in sympathy.

"Aw, too bad you can't just train while you're working here." She shrugged her shoulders as she continued to place glasses around the table.

I stopped in the middle of wrapping a pair of chopsticks in a napkin. What if I _could_ train here while I'm working? If I could just find a way to work on something, anything useful here, then everything would be more bearable!

I gazed down at the table and cart. Taking the dishes and putting them in the right spots quickly requires speed, accuracy, and control. Just like using a kunai or shuriken.

My eyes glanced up and across the room to the broom, my job when all the tables are occupied. Sweeping the whole place would need speed, endurance, and flexibility to get in the hard reaching areas. That could be like taijutsu.

"Chizue, that's it! You're brilliant!" I exclaimed as all the pieces came together. I returned to my job with a renewed vigor. If I think of my work as ninja training, that will help the basic skills I need for using weapons and fighting. With that, I can take off the hour I had set up for extra target practice, which will help me rest and recuperate.

Training is important, and right now it consumes all of my time. I need at least a little time to rest my mind, maybe make a few friends along the way. I can't be lazy for just wanting that, can I?

In my eagerness to turn working into a training exercise, I hardly noticed Chizue, pausing in confusion. She mumbled under her breath, but I was long past paying attention.

* * *

It was near the end of class when Iruka-sensei called Cerelia and I up to his desk. We had just come inside from some fighting practice. Neither of us were permitted to spar yet, which frustrated my sister to no end. She was annoyed with me because the reason that our sensei wouldn't let her spar yet was because he wanted to keep us together. Well, he never said that, but that could be the only reason. We have been here for little over a month already, after all. It would never take Cere more than a few weeks to build up her strength as high as she needed it to be. So it _must_ be my fault, it must be me that's holding her back.

Yet, a memory comes to mind. That moment when she strove to convince me that she could pull off more pushups then before, only to fail and make a pathetic bluff.

I hastily shook that thought from my mind, just in time to catch Iruka-sensei's words.

"Well, I have to say, I'm very impressed with the two of you. You have both been progressing well, though it will be a while still before you are up to par with the rest of the class, ability wise."

At this, Cere huffed irritably, turning her head away. I was flattered, personally. To even be considered on the same level as Cerelia, that was unbelievable. Of course, I don't actually pretend I'm anywhere near her skill level, it's just nice to hear that our teacher is impressed with me too. I fidgeted with the small weights on my wrists in embarrassment. By now I was pretty used to them, which meant I'd have to get the next size soon. I'll probably add them tomorrow, actually.

"Anyways, the only problem here is that neither of you two know the theory. Really, it's not too much information, but it is important to know. In general, all of the shinobi code and Konoha laws are taught in the previous grades, there is only a few reviews this year."

Cerelia pouted. "But sensei, I know all about ninja laws! Always listen to your superiors, never betray the village, and put the mission above all else, right?"

Iruka-sensei sighed, and rubbed his forehead wearily. "Yes, Cerelia. That is the general idea. However, you need to know more than that. You have to know about the government of Konoha, and rules relating to the protection of ninjas. For example, the details that determine what rank-"

He was interrupted by a groan from-who else?- my sister. "Hmmph, if it's never mentioned, I don't see why it's so important..."

"Okay, look. Do you want to pass or not? You need to know these things." Iruka-sensei raised his voice, managing to quiet the peeved Cerelia.

"As I was saying, I think it would be best if you two could get tutors to help you with theory on the side. Two people from this class would do, who have good enough marks, anyway."

I looked up in excitement. This is it! A chance to get my knowledge caught up! I have been so clueless in this world, it would be great to get some history, and some solid knowledge of where I now live.

"Uhm, Iruka-sensei?" I quietly spoke up. I did my best to meet his eyes even with Cere looming beside me.

He smiled encouragingly, and nodded to me. "Yes?"

"Oh, well, I was wondering... um, do you maybe know who I could ask to tutor? I, um, don't really know many people yet.." It wasn't a lie, I knew just a few people. There is a girl named Hinata with interesting pale eyes, just like Neji. There's also the loud fangirls: Ino, Sakura, and Manami. Oh, also that kid with the puppy was named Kiba and a tall boy named Yuki asked to go to the washroom the other day. That's pretty much it, not counting Naruto and Sasuke.

The teacher looked pleased. "Good, I'm glad to see you taking the initiative. Let's see..." Iruka paused to think for a moment. "Uchiha, Aburame, Haruno, Hyuuga! Please come up here for a moment?"

And so Sasuke, Hinata, Sakura, and a boy I didn't yet know came up. None of them looked very excited, I noticed with amusement. Unfortunately, Cerelia had a strange gleam in her eyes, directed at none other than Mr. Uchiha.

" I need two people who have some extra time to tutor the new students here. They need to catch up in theory. You four have exceptional knowledge grades." He set an expectant gave at the four students. Poor Hinata, she was shy like me with Cerelia, and wouldn't look at either of us as she made her excuse.

"u-u-umm.. I h-have a lot of t-t-training at home. I d-don't have enough t-t-time." She stuttered out. Sensei nodded sympathetically.

"I thought that may be the case. If you don't have time, you may go." She must have been really happy about that, it took no time for her to flee the scene. The bell had just rung, and children were piling out of the classroom.

Sakura looked like she wanted to get out of it, but glanced at Sasuke. My guess is that she did not want Sasuke tutoring either of us. He didn't seem enthused either, and spoke up about it.

" I'm not doing it."

Iruka-sensei frowned. "Do you have a reason? I know you aren't involved in any clubs, and you have the top marks in this class."

"Sensei, I do not have time." The other boy spoke up during the pause in conversation. " The Aburame clan is hosting the Shinobi festival this year. Perhaps in two months time I may help."

Iruka let out a frustrated groan. "Yes, Shino, that's fine. I forgot about that. You're dismissed." The admittedly polite boy nodded and glided out the door. I find it sort of unnerving that I could not see his face, covered as it was by big circle sunglasses and a dramatically tall shirt collar.

Now it was just the irritable silent kid and the irritable loud kid. Iruka grinned at the two. "Okay, so that narrows it down. I know neither of you two have so little free time you can't help out. Now, who wants to partner up?"

Sakura immediately spoke up, face stretched out with unreasonable panic. "Oh, don't worry about it, Sasuke doesn't need to waste his valuable time! I'll tutor the both of them." She finished with an innocent giggle.

Iruka-sensei frowned. " I'm glad for your enthusiasm, Sakura, but there's a reason I want two tutors. Aurora and Cerelia are twin sisters, and I think they will learn best if separated for once. There's a lot of information they need to catch up on, so a one-on-one environment will be the best. Not to mention, I'm sure Sasuke will be fine donating a little of his time to help out a fellow student. Right?"

Said boy hmm'ed and turned aside. "I don't need to, they can survive on their own."

"Hah, that's right, duckbutt!" Cerelia sneered. The animosity might have been believable if not for the obvious batting of her eyes, and the angered-yet-modestly-cute face she put on. Sasuke bristled all the same, and Iruka scolded Cere.

"Cerelia! That is no way to talk to your peers. Especially not when they are offering help! And Sasuke, I don't care if it's not part of the curriculum, you need to show care for your classmates. You _will_ be tutoring one of them!"

Iruka-sensei and Sasuke stared each other down for a moment. Eventually Sasuke huffed and nodded in consent, as Iruka's teacher status won out over the rebellious child status. Sakura looked heartbroken.

"Well!" Cerelia announced, "I guess that means I'm stuck with you. Sakura, you can help Aurora. She needs all the assistance she can get, luckily I'm good enough to keep up with Mr. Antisoc-"

"I'll take her" Sasuke cut in swiftly, pointing a disdainful finger at.. me? Why in the world would he want to tutor _me_ over my sister? She is clearly smarter, and better. Cerelia's look of horror much have matched my own. She is going to be so mad at me!

"Well, that means that Sakura can help you out instead then. Is that okay?" Cerelia was too flabbergasted to protest, and Sakura considered something for a moment, before agreeing cautiously.

I did not know what to say. I really wanted to get some help learning about this place, but of all the people to be forced to teach me, it had to be Sasuke? He hates me, or at least dislikes me! Sure, not much more than he seems to dislike everyone else, but it still doesn't sit well. Is he even going to teach me anything? More than likely he may just blow me off.

"Right, well, I think three hours a week, spread out should be enough. I want you four to be recording your time spent tutoring on paper. I don't want this to be done for a week and then forgotten. And by the way, I will know if you're lying, so please be honest."

Hah, well I wonder how he is able to tell if someone is lying in a written piece of work. Really, I can't imagine there being a jutsu for that. Then again... you never know. After all, Naruto has this stupid "sexy" jutsu he almost has perfected where he turns into a naked blonde chick.

I looked over to gauge my sister's reaction. She had finally started to process what had just happened and was seething. I flinched away from her glare. Sakura didn't seem too happy either, giving me a look of warning, before writing something down and shoving it into Cerelia's unresponsive hand.

"There's my address. Come sometime either after school or after supper. Not on the weekends." She finally left, with a shake of her cherry pink head.

"You really don't want Aurora as a student, you know. You'll regret having to work with her thick skull." Cerelia spoke, directing at Sasuke. I looked away. It hurt, being told I was slow. I am weak, but I never really considered myself dumb, not really. I guess to Cerelia I seem stupid just because she's so much brighter in comparison.

"Like you could be a better choice." Sasuke retorted sarcastically. His eyes flicked to mine, and grudgingly Sasuke added, "I will see you an hour before school tomorrow, in here." That being said, he strode out with a brooding posture. It brought to me the image of a peacock with ruffled feathers.

Iruka-sensei shook his head. "I really wish you kids all got along better. Please don't disrespect your tutors, girls. I would hate to have to cancel them." He sent a pointed glance at Cerelia, who still looked quite put out by Sasuke's remark.

"Well! I will see you two tomorrow, then." Iruka concluded. I heard the dismissal and was glad to finally leave. Cerelia pushed ahead of me in anger, shoving me aside in the process.

I rubbed my shoulder and counted my blessings. At the very least she was not in the mood to talk about it. Something tells me I don't want to be at the home base for my afternoon training.

Let's see... I won't be able to do my morning run tomorrow because of tutoring, so I should make sure to do another run today. Yeah, I usually do a lap around a section of Konoha. It isn't quite half, and I have to take a lot of walking breaks in between the slow running, but at least I'm doing something.

As I'm walking to my starting point, I see Naruto sitting on a park bench, looking listless. I come over behind him.

"Hey, what's up?" I greet. Naruto starts like I had woken him from sleep.

"Huh..? Oh! Hey, Aura!", He hopped onto his feet and turned to me. "Are you doing anything interesting? I'm bored!"

I smirk. "What, tired of pulling pranks?"

He nodded frantically. "Yes! My inspiration is toast, I'm not hungry yet, and I can't think of something to do." Naruto whined sadly.

"Oh, well I'm not doing anything interesting. I'm just going to train some." I apologized sheepishly.

"Hmm, sounds good. Can I come?" He gave that mischievous fox smile of his.

"Well, if you want to, go ahead. I'm just running laps for a while, then taking a break and doing some weight training. It can't be very interesting."

Naruto laughed. "That's the kind of training we did last year, you know! It's not hard."

That made me frown. He knows I don't have any training at all. Of course I have to start with the very basics- building up strength and stamina. I have to do it at a much more intense pace. By the time I finish with strength training, I have only a half hour break before work. And there I will work on dexterity.

It can't be helped, I guess. Of course my struggles are going to look silly to someone who has done the exact same thing, but at two years younger than me. Nevertheless, he still followed me to my little training spot.

It was within view of the outer wall of Konoha, so I had something to gauge my distance walking. It was also secluded; consisting of a comfortably sized patch of grass sheltered by a big boulder and a humongous fallen tree.

"Okay, then. This is where I've been doing a lot of training lately, because Cerelia doesn't like seeing me do it in the house. So I also start my lap here too.", I explain to Naruto, who had been staring at the little area with interest.

"Cool, it's like a secret base! How did you find it?" I shrugged. It was just a little luck. I had been looking for somewhere where other ninja wouldn't see me and laugh at my efforts, and I managed to come across it. Secretly, I did consider it a hidden base of sorts.

I clear my throat and begin to stretch my legs. From personal experience, one did not want to get a leg cramp when running upwards of 5 kilometers. Naruto shrugged and did a half-assed stretch. He probably doesn't have to worry about cramping anyway.

It was actually pretty refreshing, having a companion on my run. Sure, even the person with the lowest overall class grades could easily outpace me. But at least he was actually sweating a little. I felt slightly better about my stamina.

"Wow, how far do you usually run? We've been at it half an hour already!" Naruto exclaimed as I slowed down to a walk yet again from exhaustion.

I wiped my brow before answering. "Well", I breathed deeply so as not to pant in the middle of a sentence, " We're about a third of the way, I do it every morning. Tomorrow I can't, so I'm doing it again now."

Naruto seemed very surprised at that. "Wait, how? I thought you weren't trained at all! I mean, yeah, sure I can do it. But that's a _lot_ of running!"

His disbelieving tone made me smirk. "It's -huff- not like I could do that from the start. I just went as far as I could for about an hour." Yes, it had gotten easier after a month's worth. That's why I have to keep making the length a bit longer every so often.

"Cool! At this rate, you'll catch up in no time! And we can beat Sasuke-the-bastard!" I couldn't help but grimace.

"Couldn't put it better myself." I mumbled. Naruto's expression perked up beside me.

"Hah, I know, right? He just pisses me off so much with his stupid attitude!" Naruto enthusiastically shouted, scaring off some nearby birds. Rested slightly, I decided to go up to a jog.

"It's not so much that I hate him, but..." And I explained to him my tutor dilemma. Surprisingly, Naruto listened without any interruption.

"I just don't know how I'm going to learn anything! I wish I could have gotten Sakura, at least she talks!"

My new friend growled. "Yeah, stupid Sasuke! He's so high and mighty, it makes me mad! You should get Iruka-sensei to volunteer someone else. Just don't ask me, though."

"I agree with you there. Somehow, Naruto, I doubt you'd be a good teacher. Do you even remember all the theory from last year?" He shrugged carelessly.

We continued our run in relative silence. I admit, it was nice to have some company. Plus, at the end of it Naruto was pretty tired too. I only took enough time to restore some strength before Getting straight to the rest of my training regime. When I sneaked back into the apartment, Cerelia wasn't there. I changed into work clothes and ate a meal in record time, with the air of trying to prevent the inevitable.

Coincidentally, it was after work that I encountered Cerelia, a sour expression on her face. It was quickly wiped away as her eyes met mine.

"Aura, welcome home!", she spoke in a honey coated voice. I smiled uneasily. I didn't know what Cerelia was thinking, and her angry outbursts as of late made her reaction even more unpredictable.

"Look, I know you're sorry about Sasuke's little mistake too. So, I just want you to know that I forgive you... it isn't _really_ your fault that Sasuke had a lapse in judgment! Well, it kind of is, because you were there and acting all innocent, but like I said, you didn't mean to." Cerelia held her arm out, gesturing for a hug.

I stood back for a moment in nervousness. What did she mean, it was kind of my fault? I never thought I was doing anything wrong... just asking who could tutor me. It's my word against Cere's, though. I reached into the hug and murmured my apology. "Sorry, Cerelia. I was hoping for a different tutor too."

"Good!", Cere chirped, patting me on the back and jumping back. "Which is why I have a plan to fix this mistake. You wake me up tomorrow morning, and we'll enjoy a nice breakfast. Then we can go to school together, and I can show my soft side by helping my silly little sister study, so he wont have to waste time! Smart, huh?"

I gulped, but nodded dutifully. I know for a fact Cere knows nothing of teaching or studying because everything comes immediately to her so she can't relate to the struggles of other people. Not to mention last time she taught me, it was for simple lock picking. I did end up acquiring the skill, but Cerelia just did not understand my limitations. It took me forever to drag out step-by-step instructions from her.

So sure, she may prove herself to Sasuke, but my chances of actually learning anything will just drop even more. I did my nighttime pushups in the safety of our room. It was only 9:30 that I went to bed. I always wake up at the crack of dawn, after all.

After that, it took no time between gratefully peeling off the weights and crashing onto the scraggly pillow. Falling asleep came even sooner.

* * *

Morning happened far too quickly. Nevertheless, I managed to quickly banish myself from the warm blanket, stretching out my limbs from another uncomfortable night slept on the floor. Not that Cerelia's thin mattress could have been much better. I was about to slip on the now familiar light weights when I remembered that I was supposed to change them today.

With a sigh, I took the next size. While the previous weights had added up to 2 pounds- half a pound on each limb so that it barely registered at first- these were twice that. After I'm used to this, the next will be double these, and so on. The idea is that as I get stronger, my ability to adapt becomes faster. Though each arm and leg still only had a single pound of extra weight in the form of thick black bracelets, I knew it would be the death of me by tonight.

Or perhaps I wouldn't even make it to tonight, by how things were bound to shape up this morning. I glanced over to the sleeping form of my sister, noting the time on the alarm clock by the foot of the bed. We had no nightstand yet, but the clock was one of my first purchases here.

Now was a good time to wake Cere up, it was around 6 in the morning, and I need to be at the academy in an hour. I was sorely tempted to leave her there, sleeping. How could I disobey Cerelia again, though? Not after betraying her by enrolling, and certainly not after embarrassing her yesterday after class.

With a sense of impending doom I gently shook Cerelia's shoulders. "Come on, Cere. You said you wanted to wake up.." I mumbled. Cerelia's response was an unintelligible groan.

"Whuuht..", her muffled voice whined, "What time is it?" The blankets shifted until her head appeared in a mass of red-black tangles. I almost started in surprise. Her hair has never been messy! Even after pillow fights and restless sleep, only a few strands of shiny hair ever went out of place. I pushed the insignificant line of thought out of my mind.

"We have to leave in half an hour, Cere. It's already 6. I'll work on breakfast while you get dressed and ready." I explained, turning to the door.

"The things I do for love...", I heard Cerelia grumble as she heaved the covers off. I set myself to making pancakes. They were just being finished when I heard a panicked screech from the bathroom.

"What is it!" I called as I dashed over. Did Cere fall? Did she hurt herself? I opened the door to see her staring at herself in the mirror.

"My hair..! Aurora, what did you do to it! It looks ratty! It looks like _your_ hair in the morning!" I waved my hands in a calming gesture.

"Cere, I swear I didn't do anything! You probably just had a really restless sleep. Besides, that's nothing a hairbrush wont fix. You brush your hair anyways, right?" I tried to reason with her.

Instead of being calmed, she waved her hairbrush at me, some of her super long threads of hair wound in between the bristles. "I tried that! But it's never been tangled like this! It hurts..." She wailed miserably.

"Well.." I began, not really knowing what to say. Tangles in long hair were naturally inevitable. Of course it should hurt a little when brushing out knee-length hair in the morning. My hair was only a little past the shoulders, but it still got pretty snarly over the night. "Maybe you forgot conditioner last time you showered, so it's more messy. Not really time to shower now though, so maybe just brush carefully so it hurts less".

"That's it! I definitely used conditioner, so it must be ineffective! This is unmanageable, I have to go and get some better stuff! I know there's a 24 hour convenience store just a few blocks away, it has conditioner." She announced happily.

"Umm.." I reminded, " We need to be at the school in 50 minutes. It's almost a half-hour walk, you know." Somehow, this comment elicited a snarl from Cerelia.

"Well, it's your fault for buying crappy conditioner that doesn't do it's job! Surely you can ask Sasuke to wait for me. I can't go to him with messy hair, and it's not my fault it hurts to brush. I just need to go to the store, take a quick shower, and run over. I wont make Sasuke wait long."

Cerelia paused to think for a moment. " Just tell him that you accidentally set the stove on fire while trying to cook, and I stayed to clean up your mess and make sure the fire didn't spread.", she added.

I gulped and nodded uncertainly. I knew for a fact that the conditioner was fine- it worked for me, at least. But it wasn't worth trying to tell her that. I rushed back to the kitchen before the stove actually did burst into flame.

I took my time, eating breakfast. Cerelia had already left for the convenience store, taking two of the pancakes with her to eat. It really shouldn't worry me too much, after all it is just a silly little incident. I just keep wanting to dig further into this. Cerelia never had a problem learning anything, and now she needs a tutor. She also never needed to physically exert herself to be strong, now she is still at the same level of strength while I've been getting noticeably stronger. She even looked surprised at how my stamina has shown through in class. Cerelia also never ever had hair problems, not like normal people. And here she was, long hair razzled as it should for any other person, but never Cerelia.

Since I couldn't form any kind of conclusion to those statements, I forced the topic from my mind. My fingers twitched and my mind buzzed with the need for answers, for knowledge. Instead, I finished up breakfast and washed the dishes.

When I got to the academy, it was a few minutes early. I would have been concerned that Sasuke may think me overeager, except that I don't really care about whatever impression he has of me. Sure, it annoys me to be disliked for no discern-able reason, and of course I want to stay enough on his good side so that he will actually teach me, but beyond that? Who gives a crap?

Despite that, I did keep glancing at the door as the minutes ticked by. What if he decided to just not show up? If that happened, I don't know what I would do. It wouldn't be good form to tattle, and there's no way I could bring myself to confront him with Cerelia hanging around.

Sasuke did show up only 5 minutes late, with the ugliest scowl that he could muster up. He first went to the front of the room, dislodging a thick textbook from a shelf under the blackboard. Sasuke plopped the text on my desk, and rustled through the bag on his back, producing a folder filled with papers.

"Don't lose these." He stated simply, dropping the plain folder on top of the text. I took a glance at both materials. The textbook was titled "Konoha laws: Ninja regulations and expectations". The folder was filled with organized notes written in a neat, tidy font. I realized they must belong to Sasuke.

I looked up, to see him staring expectantly.

"Uhhm, thanks, I guess. When do you want the notes back?" I spoke hesitantly, not really knowing what to say.

"Keep them.", he replied, "They're from last year. Just don't expect a replacement." Sasuke turned to leave. I almost let him, after all, I should be okay with the notes and the text. I could always track him down for any questions. But then, I remembered Cerelia.

"Where are you going? Weren't you supposed to actually tutor me for the whole hour?"

Sasuke stopped for a moment, and turned to me with a look of distaste. " If my notes aren't sufficient, then you're too stupid to pass."

I scowled in return at the insult. I can't just let him go, when Cerelia is on her way, expecting to see him! Surely, he'll understand that. If Sasuke avoiding the chance to tutor her was really my fault, then I should fix it by giving him the chance now.

"Wait, Cerelia is coming here. She was just late because of... um, my cooking accident." I mumbled the last part, embarrassed even though it was only a lie.

Unexpectedly, Sasuke glared angrily at me. "Why would you let her come!"

Taken aback by his reaction, I told the truth. "She wanted to come, so she did. Its got nothing to do with permission." I was appalled by my answer, and covered my mouth in shame. How could I say something so bitter about Cerelia out loud to someone? Not only was I saying something negative about her to another person, but it was to the one person she liked! Sure, I've said things about Cerelia that weren't nice, but always directly to her, and never in front of someone else! I felt like running straight to my sister and apologizing.

Sasuke looked me over, noting my distress at my own comment. The distaste in his eyes strengthened and morphed into disgust. He was disgusted, with me. "You're pathetic.", he said simply. Sasuke turned around again, and this time I didn't try to stop him from leaving. There was nothing I could do.

Sullenly I turned to the text. I might as well start on something productive. I took a glance at the table of contents. It was long and confusing. Maybe I can get Iruka-sensei to highlight the most essential topics for me.

I had just finished reading the first three pages of text and the note that accompanied it when the classroom door slammed open. I looked over to see a victorious Cerelia. Her hair was perfect again, and her skin shone with a healthy gleam. Her molten-gold eyes caught mine in greeting, and then swept the classroom impatiently. My heart dropped to my stomach in dread.

"Well? Where is he?" My sister's expectant voice pierced me, and in response my eyes scrambled to see anything other than an irate Cerelia.

"Well, um, Cerelia...?" I saw the clock on the wall. It's only a half hour until class. The other kids will be showing up soon.

"Yes, dear sister? Sasuke is just gone to get a drink right?" She spoke in such a sweet voice, I knew it could only be false.

I gulped. " Actually... he, um... left, I guess. I, um, don't think he's coming back. Umm, at least not 'till class." My eyes shot to the window. Somebody left a kunai in the bulls eye from yesterday.

I felt Cerelia's change in tone before I heard it.

"What!" She shouted. "Why did you let him do that? Did you forget to tell him_ I_ would be coming to see him? I can see him not wanting to spend anymore time dealing with _you_..."

I wanted to leave it at that. It would be better for me and for her if she didn't know. But something inside me was almost... mad at the fault being put to me. I told her the rest of the story, eyes finding their way to the floor of the room.

"But Cere, I did say that. I told him you were coming. He just..." I gulped. "he got mad... um, he asked my why I let you come... he called me pathetic and left anyway.." I finally brought my gaze to her and immediately regretted it. Her face was carved in anger, her teeth grinding and fists bunching.

"When he asked you 'that'... what did you reply?" Cerelia spoke evenly, with a subtext of fury behind it. I could feel her anger coiling up, preparing to strike as the tension grew. I should not have said anything. I should have played the forgetful one. Cerelia didn't need to know what really happened, that Sasuke again chose to avoid her.

As much as I wanted to say nothing else that would incriminate me, I was dug too far in to get out, Cere was waiting for an answer.

"Umm.. I told him that you came because you wanted to. I said that, um, my permission didn't matter.."

Cerelia stalked closer to me, her walk clipped and rigid. She gestured me to stand, and I did so, worriedly and actually scared. I tried to calm myself. After all, she is my sister! Surely she would understand that this whole thing happening doesn't really have anything to do with me. I can't control what Sasuke chooses to do, after all. Cere has to know _that_, at least.

"You know what, Aura? I think I understand what you really want." She growled as her eyes narrowed at me. I froze, speechless for the moment.

"You've been at this since you joined the Academy. Aura, I think you want to be me." She spat, and I flinched.

"No!" I blurted out. "I don't want that! I just-"

"Don't lie!" Cerelia interrupted. She glared at me with renewed vigor. "You just want to replace me. You saw my dream and thought that since you were stuck here, it was your time to shine! I bet you want to steal Sasuke too, and that's why you're making him avoid me!"

I backed up. I wanted oh-so-much to run away from these accusations, but Cerelia grabbed the front of my shirt with her left fist. I panicked. "Wait, Cere, you're wrong! That's not it!"

"Ha!" She laughed. "Now you're lying again _and_ accusing me of being wrong! Well guess what? Sasuke is right, you are pathetic. You never bested me before and you're not getting the better of me now, either! This whole ninja charade is just an attempt to replace me! I'm not replaceable, I will always be the better one!"

As much as her remarks bit into me, they also fueled my own rage. I was hurt and on the verge of tears, but a curious feeling took over me. It was the feeling of indignity.

"Cerelia!" I raised my voice, for the first time in a while. "Listen to me! I don't want to replace you! I just wanted to become a ninja so I could have a purpose, okay? I wanted to make a difference for _somebody_, to make at lea-"

_BAM!_

I cut myself off as a force barreled into the left side of my face. A sharp crack of pain bloomed as my hands leaped to my face. For a second I didn't know what had happened, the force had pushed me back a little, and Cerelia's hand on my shirt was slack.

Then I saw Cerelia's partially raised fist, and her heavy breathing. I looked into her eyes, the anger was still displayed clearly, but along with that was surprise.

She hit me. It wasn't just a slap, it was a full fisted punch. I could see it clearly now, the flash of her arm, and the closed fingers speeding towards my eye. I glanced once more at my sister, seeing her mouth form into a shocked 'o'. I shakily backed out of her arm's range. Her hands fell back to her sides without any resistance.

What else could I do? I ran.

* * *

A/N: yes, I finally finished this chapter -takes a bow- I hope that the next one gets out much faster ^^ This chapter sets up some good story development between Cerelia and Aurora. Basically, I want Aura's situation concerning her sister to be a big fault well into the story, but I want to change the nature of it to something a little different from what it is now. Partially because Aura's constant praise of her sister (who certainly doesn't deserve it) is a little paiful to write, and partially because it couldn't realistically last long in a world where Cerelia has been equalized (spoiler? Not really, because it should be obvious). Basically, I want to build up other emotions other than "omg I'm hopeless my sister is always right she cant do anything wrong because its CERE" I want some more drama, some fear and resentment. It is also revealed now why Cerelia is so against the whole Aura trying out ninja thing. She is threatened for the first time XD

if you read that, then thanks for looking at my ramblings ^^ Thank you all for reading this chapter! If you liked it, please review and feel free to dole out constructive criticism. Or even just say something small, it doesn't matter C:


	7. Apology

I ran. I did not know where I was going, just that it was away. Everything I knew was crumbling apart. At some point I realized I was outside the Academy. Missing class did not even cross my mind. I did not even know what to think about Cerelia. She was my protector. Sure, sometimes she got on my nerves and sometimes I wasn't impressed. But throughout our life, even with my crippling jealousy I knew she would always look out for me.

At some point, when I was gasping with exhaustion, I finally stopped myself. I was in a sort of town square. I was not familiar with the area, but I knew to head towards the eternally visible Hokage cliff faces. From there it would be easy enough to find a way back.

On the other hand, I am not concerned about getting back at the moment. I do not know what I am going to do at all. I can't go back to class, not with Cerelia there. I can't face her. I don't even know if I can bear going back to home base.

Hesitant, my hand carefully touched the painful skin. It was definitely a shock punch, not a strike sent with full force. A large circle over my cheekbone was extra tender, probably bruised. The whole half of my face was sore from the impact, but otherwise safe. No black eyes or broken noses. Too bad it wasn't really the amount of damage that was done that bothered me.

No, the problem is that my sister would ever raise her hand like that. I have received my fair share of simple smacks over the head, sister to sister. Those are normal, light and open palmed. I wandered to the fountain in the middle of the square and shakily sat on the stone rim.

I gazed into the shallow water, confirming the small bruise marring my freckled face. My chocolate eyes stared back at me, watery and miserable. I let the slow fat tears well up and drip into the pool, making almost no sound. I was caught into the hopelessness of self-pity again. All I ever wanted here was a purpose and meaning to my life. I'm not hurting anyone else! I'm not affecting Cerelia's goals, and I'm certainly not trying to take her place. The tears fell down faster.

How could she hurt me like this? What was I doing wrong? Cerelia's word was law to me, at least it had been. It's just that... more and more what I thought I knew about Cerelia has started to fall apart. She lies, I've witnessed it. She has jealousy too, I saw that just now. There is no other explanation for what she did. She is **Cerelia**, that used to be able to explain anything to me.

She says something mean? It couldn't have meant anything because its **Cerelia**.

She shows off and exaggerates her ability? She must just be looking out for me, because this is **Cereli**a we are talking about.

She completely disregards other people's feelings and blames me for her mistake? It must really be my mistake, **Cerelia** wouldn't do anything wrong.

This is how I've behaved my whole life. And there was good reason for it too. She really is a nice person in addition to her talent. She wasn't always so assertive and rude. Something about being here is bringing the worst of her out, and I clearly needed to see that. Past actions should not exclude someone from the present.

I remember when we were eight. I was miserable and crying because of a lost teddy bear. It was a little silly, but I could not sleep without it. His name was Gregory and he was my most precious possession. Cerelia didn't own a toy like that. She had never been attached to such an item and could not possibly understand what I was going through.

All the same, my sister realized something. Though she personally had no attachment for the scruffy patch of fur, she knew how much I valued it. She helped me search, high and low throughout the house. When I was tired and exhausted from searching, she continued, looking throughout the basement and even the attic. When I was irritable and snapped at her for no reason at all, she just hugged me and promised to keep looking. Until eventually she found it, hidden in the crook of a tree branch in our yard.

Cerelia had always spared energy for me and for everyone. So why was she like this now? Why was she so spiteful, and volatile? Well, maybe it wasn't such a dramatic change. I knew Cerelia was acting different in the months nearing our trip to this universe. She had been gradually more distant and more self absorbed. I never noticed of course, only in hindsight I see it. Perhaps it was the Naruto series that created this flaw in her?

No, no simple manga would do that. But it did start around the time that I now know Cerelia began to prepare that stupid spell. If only I had known then... maybe none of this would have happened.

I guess that it's time to change some things. Sure, Cerelia was my protector. She stopped me from being bullied. She let me copy her homework. She used to purposely include me in her large circle of friends, even when it made her look silly. Except... Cerelia isn't just that anymore.

She discouraged me with lies and exaggeration. She got mad at a mistake she made and put all the blame on me. She raised her hand and _punched_ me.

Cerelia is not a god. She is not perfect. She _can _do wrong. Most of all, she is human, prone to a blessing just as much as a curse. Sure, Cerelia is certainly an enhanced kind of human. Who else could contain so much talent and kindness, even in the past? But she is still human, just the same.

I can't believe it's taken a physical blow to the head to realize that.

The tears slowed down and eventually stopped. I wiped my horribly sore and red eyes, snot inevitably flowing free. Thinking of Cerelia all this time, filled me with so many emotions. Sadness, anger, and fear being most predominant. I was overcome with a sense of helplessness. Where can I even go now? I can't stay in this courtyard forever...

"Aura!"

My head whipped up at the sound of my name. Who..?

It was Cerelia, in the flesh, pelting towards me. I stood up, about to run, but then I saw her clearly. Tears were streaming down her face, marring the usually perfect ivory skin. Her expression was so forlorn I hesitated, just to find out what it was that was making her so distressed. After all, doesn't she hate me right now? She would have to, in order to do that...

"Aurora! Please, wait!" Her scream echoed across the square, causing a few heads to turn. As my sister neared, I realized that she was sweating up a storm. Her long hair was now scraggly, with bits of twig and dirt specks tangled within. I allowed her to near me, though I was worried. What if she hits me again?

Her arms reach out to me, and I flinched back. Not again!

Cerelia stopped with the most miserable expression on her face. She lowered her arms sadly, the arms that had only intended to hug just then.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. As soon as you left, Aura, I've been trying to find you. I mean, I need to apologize but..Aurora... I don't expect you to forgive me..." She began, and cut herself off with a shake of her head. I thought I had misheard.

"Forgive...you?" I muttered. That was a big change from our previous arguments. She would _never_ admit to wrong!

"Yes.." Cerelia agreed. "I need to apologize. You're my sister... and I don't know how I could forget that and do such horrible things to you." She broke off with a sigh, but kept going on.

"It's just... since I've gotten here, to this world... I've been focusing on my own dreams. I forget sometimes how difficult it is for you to adjust. And when I saw you adjusting so fast, I assumed you were trying to imitate me somehow."

I don't think she noticed my shocked face. Cerelia is apologizing? I can't believe it!

" Well, there was no excuse for what happened in the classroom. I made completely unfair assumptions of you, and then... I punched you! I was as shocked as you when it happened. I didn't think I was capable of hurting you like that... I understand if you're mad at me because of that... I'm a horrible sister."

I gulped. Here she was, practically on her hands and knees, begging forgiveness. But how do I respond? I'd be lying to say that the apology did nothing to my feelings, but it doesn't change what happened.

"Cere... It's not just the physical harm, or even just what happened today. Since we've been here you've made it clear that I couldn't be a ninja. You belittled my attempts at training, you forced me to keep my job so I'd have less time, and you blamed me multiple times for things I had no control over. Like Sasuke."

Cerelia teared up even more, wiping her eyes with the back of a hand.

"I know. I'm so so sorry! I completely disregarded your feelings and put myself at the top. I acted like a despicable person and treated you like an annoyance and a scapegoat. Just please, can we go back to just being normal sisters again? You can quit your job, I'll stop buying so many things. We can even train together!"

My heart reached out to the heartfelt apology. However, I'm still not sure I can accept it..

"But how do I trust you now, Cerelia? How do I know every time you get angry, I won't be hit again? I can't just forget it!"

"I know, Aura, I know. I understand you don't believe me! But even still, I promise, pinky promise, swear on my life that I won't hurt you again! I'll be good, I'll let you do whatever you want for revenge! I won't treat you like extra baggage anymore! Just please come back with me! I don't know what I'd do if you died out here because you were too afraid to come back home!"

This time she really did get on her knees. Cerelia looked up at me with those sorrowful eyes. The person who had done so much emotional damage, was repenting with every ounce of her being. There wasn't much else I could do. I carefully raised my arms around her sides, and pressed down hesitantly.

With a whoop of joy, intersected with a hiccup, Cerelia returned the hug. Her tears mixed in with my hair, as the wetness on my cheeks mixed with hers. We stood there for a long moment, just reveling in the sisterly bond. She squeezed once more, before pulling back.

"This means a lot to me, Aurora. I think it's time to start fresh again. It'll be just like when we were younger. What say we get you patched up?"

she sounded so perky and happy, I smiled too. We walked out of the square, hand in hand. Only I could not start fresh. It will never be just like when we were younger. She betrayed my trust so completely. It counts for something that Cerelia is willing to make amends right now, but it'll take more than that.

Do I know if she's completely honest? Is she really completely sorry and repentant? Of course not. I will just have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Only the future will tell if she has really gone back or if she is just trying to get rid of the guilt. For now, I am content with the apology.

For now, I can enjoy having my sister again. A sister that loves me, and cares about me. My heart filled with elation. Maybe I'm not as alone as I thought.

* * *

A/N time :D Yes, I apologize for the short chapter. I just wanted to get this out there. It's basically a continuation of the events of the last chapter. I did say I wanted more fear and anger in Aurora's relationship with her sister and I mean it. It seems like everything had been resolved but that's not even close to the truth. I have big things planning for the whole sister thing. Let's just say... Cerelia's mistreatment is not solved with this. The point is, she is human too and doesn't just turn from a nice person to a completely soulless evil person with the snap of a finger. She feels guilt still. Aaaaand that's enough about the plot lol. The next chapter should be longer because it's a little time skip. That's why this isn't just part of the next chapter. It didn't really fit well XD

Don't forget to review, especially with constructive critisism! I got a few good ones like that who didn't sign in so I couldn't reply!

About the Chizue comment- I didn't actually think much on that lol. I guess Aurora does seem really friendly all of a sudden, but trust me that wasn't the intention. I meant it to be that Chizue is just really bubbly and friendly, which allows Aurora to drop her guard and say hi. And then she gets a good idea from her. It really wasn't supposed to have a significance beyond showing that Aurora was serious about training to the point where shes micromanaging time.

Also to the mary sue comment- I'd REALLY appretiate examples and reasons backing this up. Not because I want you to 'prove it', but I'd love to know what it is that puts Aurora at risk so I can watch the development and cut any mary sue-ness in the bud ^^ Please, don't be shy!

PEACE OFF


	8. Encouragement

All I could feel was pain. My arms and legs were burning with exertion. A hand slipped dangerously downwards under a heavy and precariously balanced stack of plates. Curse these weights. It doesn't help my pride either, that they're only the two pounders. Not to mention I've had A whole week to get used to these ones. Sure, with the half pounds and one pounds, I was still struggling by this time, but it was never still this bad.

I always knew that becoming a ninja would be grueling, painful work, but after a week straight of being exhausted by lunch and near-dead by nightfall I was beginning to resent things. Not to mention, before then, I was still being worked to the bone. Don't even forget about the emotional exhaustion of last month, with Cerelia hurting me and apologizing. At the very least, today is my last day of work, since I gave my two weeks notice. After that day, she stopped pressuring me so much about working. At school, she more or less ignored me, but regarded me politely when the need arose. More than I could hope for, given the situation. Plus, she was much more helpful now when we practiced beginner Taijutsu. I think that Iruka-sensei is planning to upgrade her to sparring with the rest of the class.

I gratefully set the plates down where they were needed, only to grudgingly pick up a broom. There just didn't seem to be enough time in the day between school, work, and training. For certain, the job helped me out in these almost-two months (next week is the 2-month anniversary of my travel here). I've had the chance to work on balance, nimbleness, and dealing with pressure. More importantly, my general knowledge of the world has increased. I have a better feel of how Konoha really works. All the same, I will be glad to reclaim a few more hours of time every day.

Chizue chatted idly with another worker, I nodded to her and kept moving. She was pretty nice, for certain she talked to everyone who would give her the time of day. Unfortunately that was as far as our friendship went, to idle talk. Back home, it was not as if I couldn't socialize at all. I just had trouble forming strong friendships with people. Chizue is the same way with me, the kind of person you could talk to easily, but not deeply. In fact, the only person I've ever really confided a serious concern to, besides my sister, was Naruto. That probably didn't count though, since I always knew he was the good guy from Cerelia's ravings. Plus, he has this unique positivity that just makes you feel better.

I think I can see why out of all of the people in this world, he got chosen to be the protagonist.

Eventually it was time to finish up for the evening. I made sure to thank Fumiko greatly, after all she allowed me a job here and I only kept it for a couple months. She just smiled and waved me off.

"Don't you worry about that, dear. You didn't know you were going to enroll when you started, after all. I know how physically demanding the academy can be, especially if you're doing your own exercises to catch up. I'm just thankful that you held on as long as you did, so I could find some extra help. If you ever decide it's not for you, and need some work, don't hesitate to stop by."

Overwhelmed, I bobbed my head in extra gratitude. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks so much again, Fumiko-san". She just chuckled as I left the Restaurant.

Ironically the next day was even worse than normal, despite my knowledge of extra hours at the end of it. First of all, I did my usual jog in the morning, taking brief looks at Sasuke's notes when I was forced to slow to a walk. Which was often, because the two pounds on each limb dragged on me with every step. I admit, I was extremely frustrated at the stupid weights.

Eight pounds total, that's it! That's nothing, barely anything! Most people in class could go twice my speed with five times the extra mass. And they were a year younger than me. Sure, they had ninja training, but by now shouldn't I be a _little_ bit better than I am?

Shamefully I panted and gasped as I walked to catch my breath. On top of that, the information seemed to flow right out the back of my head. Currently, I was studying the regulations in place for dealing with ninja of other villages. What to do when foreign ninja of different levels and statuses are encountered. There were just so many regulations and honestly, it was hard to remember. I could see why Naruto hates it so much.

When I finally finished up and dragged my uncooperative body to my seat, things didn't even get any better. Sensei yammered on and on about math, and I had thought that finally I'd be ahead. After all, the class I had back home was a year ahead of this one, not to mention that with all the emphasis on ninja fighting, wouldn't they be behind in things like math?

No, it turns out that they just pay attention to a different kind of math. It was more physics than anything, talking about the differences between trajectory of different thrown weapons and the pros and cons of both. Needless to say, it went way over my head. During break I tried to get sensei to clarify.

"Look, Aurora. I really don't have the time right now. Why don't you ask your tutor, unless he's busy?" He shrugged me off as I quietly consented. How could I ask him, especially since the last time we talked he called me out on how pathetic and stupid I already know I am? So instead I trawled through the textbook, which achieved nothing.

Then, after lunch we went to do Taijutsu training. It was still just me and Cerelia against each other, still just practicing basic strikes and blocks, though at least we were at the point where we could spar, if only with each other due to skill level. Unfortunately, I hate sparring with my sister. Not just because she always wins, but I can never seem to drag up the courage to hit her, even in a controlled state where she was sure to block. This made progress slow, as Cerelia didn't have the same problem. Sensei is becoming increasingly frustrated at me for this.

During target practice, I was already so frustrated at the day, not to mention the weights still dug into my wrists and ankles with their constant reminder. This made my aim even more abysmal than normal. Only five kunai hit the target, and three of those hits were on a different target than intended. That did nothing for my mood, which snowballed even further when I couldn't concentrate during Ninjutsu practice.

The point being, when I left the academy to go to my secret training spot, I was so miserable I thought of quitting. I barely made it to the secluded patch of grass before bursting into tears. Stupid, baby-like tears of frustration. I couldn't believe myself! Why did I think I could do this? It was hard, so incredibly hard. The worst part, the thing I most despised had to be the lack of progress. Shakily, I lowered myself, after all I still needed to get my pushups done.

After only ten, I collapsed in exhaustion. It was so incredibly difficult to keep going. I sat back up and tugged at the weights, not taking them off but just looking at them. Truly, they were the worst idea ever. They had done nothing but make my work more difficult. At the same time though, that was what Guy-sensei had suggested. I frowned. Of course he had to know what he was doing, but at the same time, it didn't appear to be working.

It wasn't his fault, most likely, I just couldn't handle it. Was it really that hopeless? Would I ever get to the point where I can save someone's life? Is it even possible for someone like myself to span the incredible gap between me and my classmates?

I don't know how long I just sat there listlessly, not knowing what I should do. Either I keep it up and stay right where I am, in constant discomfort and no skill to show for it. Or I can give up, prove Cere right, and disappoint anyone who actually wanted me to succeed. It was a long thought, with no clear answers. I didn't really want to do either.

Eventually I forced myself to complete the rest of my exercises, if only out of habit. Disheartened, I wandered around the training grounds instead of going home. There was a fair amount of ninja out, especially when I got to the more popular places. They all seemed to have varying skill levels. All of them were much higher than what I could do, however. How could I compete with that?

Suddenly I heard my name shouted loudly. I must have jumped three feet into the air. It was Lee, along with his team. At this point, in the middle of my self-pity, they were the last people I wanted to see. Still I smiled slightly and greeted him back.

"Hey, we just got back from our first C mission! How is training, Aurora-chan?" Lee inquired.

"Yes, how is it going? I trust that my wonderful training advice has paid off?" Guy-sensei added. I frowned, not wanting to disappoint him, but not wanting to lie.

"Well, your ideas are good, and I've been keeping up with them, I just haven't gotten any stronger. I guess I just don't have much potential."

I saw Neji scowl in the background. "Well, of course. Didn't you already know that from the start?" He commented. I shrugged my shoulders. Of course I knew that, but that didn't really soften the pain.

"I suppose I did. I just wished there was at least a sliver of a result. I guess I was being a little conceited."

"Oh, don't say that, Neji! Anyone can improve if they want to!", Lee defended me. " Don't worry about it, Aurora. Even I didn't make much progress at first. That's the hard thing about training, it takes so long to improve!" Neji scoffed at his teammates encouragement, but stayed quiet all the same.

"Lee is right. As long as you keep doing this, you will get better. Are you on the weights yet?" Guy-sensei asked. I gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean? I put the weights on when you told me too, a few weeks after I started. I'm a week into the two pound weights, that's the problem. It's only eight overall, which isn't really much, but I'm still exhausted all the time and I can't accomplish anything more than I could a month ago."

All of them looked at me for a second. "Wow, how could you not call that progress? That's actually... really good considering you were at civilian level." This time, Tenten spoke to me.

"Still not even at an academy student level." Neji pointed out. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"I think you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. In fact, I think that's amazing progress. It will take at least a year for you to 'outrun' your weights." Guy-sensei advised.

"What do you mean by outrun?" I asked in curiosity.

"Well, when you put weights on, you aren't able to do as much work as when they are off. Then, just when you get to the point where you are completely comfortable with them, and start to do more with them, you put heavier weights on. That restarts the process. So even though you keep putting more and more weight on, the amount of strength you can apply to things stays about the same. The whole time though, you really are getting stronger. Since it basically adds a handicap, most people do not bother with weight training like that."

"Eventually, your body will be expecting the weights, and it will start to get strong faster than the weights push you back. That's when you really start to improve. It will take you to your maximum potential if you let it."

I nodded in understanding. On one hand, it sucked that for a very long time I would have nothing to show for myself. On the other hand, it really did seem like the absolute best way to make up for the years I wasn't training.

"Thanks, I never thought of it that way..." I replied. Guy-sensei grinned and ruffled my hair.

"That's the spirit! Let the power of youth keep your determination going, and in no time you will catch up!"

I smiled. "Yeah, I guess I was just a little discouraged. I think I have some more training to do. I still can't hit the targets very well." I excused myself, earning some more unnecessary shouts about youth as I left.

I'll admit, Guy-sensei and Lee are rather weird. But they're extremely good people, better than I'd ever be. All that disappointment I was feeling, well it didn't leave, but it suddenly didn't matter as much as before. I mean sure, I still was not anywhere near the rest of the class, but what was I expecting? I've only been at it for two months! That's barely any time at all. It's not like I'm Cerelia, able to take leaps and bounds in the blink of an eye. Heck, even she hasn't caught up yet.

All of a sudden, I felt elated again. It was going to get better again someday. It already was better, I just didn't notice it. I just expected too much from my body. To prove a point, when no one was in view, I stopped by a tree. For the first time (barring sleep and bathing), I unstrapped all four weights and set them aside. I was still at a low energy from the exercise earlier, but my breath was completely recovered and my body already felt lighter.

I set my sights at a nearby tree, at least 50 metres away, and pushed off. I sprinted for it. My legs felt like they were flying, my arms pumping freely beside me. I didn't time myself, but I knew it was at least a full second faster than it used to be. I skidded to a stop and gasped for air. I couldn't help but laugh with relief.

It_ was_ doing something. There was a difference! I could barely contain my pride. Sure, I was still a slug compared to any ninja. That didn't matter. For once, I beat myself. I proved myself wrong. I did something worthwhile. At that point in time, I knew for sure I had made the right decision. This was real, I wasn't going to give up, not ever. I am going to go for it, train, train, and train some more. And if I didn't pass by the end of the year, I am going to make damn sure the sensei acknowledges my efforts. Heck, by the end of this, I am going to make sure at least one person is impressed by my improvements, even if that person is myself.

With my priorities set, I collected my things again. After all, I still wasn't used to the weights, and after the sprint, everything felt like jelly again. At least with target practice, one could stand still. I made my way home in considerably higher spirits than before.

* * *

Obviously, in order to pass, one needs to know the theory as well. That's why I'm standing here, a week later, about to take the plunge. Metaphorically speaking of course. I finally got ahead on the brunt of Konoha law, after spending every single evening after supper to study. It really wasn't hard material, just a lot of material. I finally took and passed one of the major tests from last year, courtesy of Iruka-sensei. Got a good mark too, since it was really just memorization. After all the material was meant for an 11 year old, and I was 13.

After that there was only one more major test for last year, and then I was mostly caught up. Sensei assured me that the previous years were not necessary when I took a basic exam on English and math(well Japanese, actually. I'm still confused by the language switch sometimes.)

Still, some of the concepts of this year have me lost. I still haven't figured out the whole trajectory problems, which is what brought me to this mess. I can't ask sensei again, after he told me to get Sasuke for it. But I know that if I ask him, all I'll get is a scowl and refusal. I have to know, though. I can't ask Cere, because she isn't good at teaching me things. I'd feel bad if I asked Sakura, because she is already in charge of helping my sister out.

So that brought me back to square one. Beg for help from my supposed tutor. I eyed Sasuke from across the yard, not hiding the distaste in my eye. I didn't hate the kid, but I sure as hell didn't like him. He glared at me constantly, and insulted me (even if he's right, it's uncalled for). The only saving grace he had was that he didn't really rub things in so much. He wasn't a boaster, well he probably was, but at least it was silent.

So it was with a fair amount of trepidation that I finally walked over to the brooding boy.

"What do you want?" He said with a scowl, the second he saw I was heading to him. "I'm not giving you another copy of the notes."

"Look, I just need help with last weeks lesson. I honestly tried, and I still don't get it, and the test is next Monday. I just need a few pointers." I asked, trying to be polite.

"No. Why should I care if you pass?"

I frowned. "You don't have to be invested in my grades. I just need a little help. I tried asking our sensei, but he told me to ask you."

"Hnn, too bad. Ask your sister for help."

"... I can't. Come on, can't you at least give me a few pointers? The main part is that I don't get what variables to add into the formula for speed. That and wind resistance."

"Go away, I am not going to waste my time."

I let out a small growl of frustration. What a stubborn, unhelpful person. I would need to do better than this.

"Please, if you'll help me out here I'll make sure to sit far away from you and never bug you for help again, for at least a month."

He rolled his eyes and turned away, signifying the end of his part of the conversation.

"Seriously, I only ask for, like, five minutes. Please? Do you want me to pay you for tutoring? I have a little money..."

He started to walk away. My heart dropped in disappointment. Just like everyone else back home, I'm completely ignored. It was a blow to my self esteem, for sure. This person, however, had something I needed, and I wasn't about to just let him ignore me.

"Look," I raised my voice at him. "I'm just going to keep bugging you. I really need to know this stuff. So either you give up and help for five minutes, or I can annoy you for every break until you do."

He turned back and glared at me. Instead of cowering, I met his eyes squarely. Being backed into a corner like this, where I was forced to act boldly, I felt much more confident. That, and I had been feeling a lot better since Guy-sensei and Lee spoke to me last week.

Eventually, not finding me worth his time, Sasuke turned back around and kept walking. Heh, he probably didn't think I'd follow through. Unfortunately for him, I made good on my progress. For the entire rest of the lunch break, I followed him around shamelessly, continually asking for help. I hated every minute of it. It was terrifying, especially when everyone began to stare. The fangirls were the worst, judging me silently with fierce expressions. I could not handle lots of eyes on me, I wasn't used to it. Luckily I wasn't so cripplingly shy that I couldn't pull myself together once in a while, like now. Well, except when Cere was involved, of course. That was a different thing altogether, though.

This continued during the next break too. And as class ended for the day, I asked him several more times. Cere was beginning to stare though, and suddenly I was much more nervous about it. I had gone so far though, and this was so important, I resolved to keep going until we got out of the Academy grounds.

It was so out-of-character for me, I could almost laugh at it. The circumstances were what pushed me so far as to be so outgoing. And I certainly never could have done it if Cere were nearby. Luckily the past few days I haven't even seen her at lunches and breaks.

In any case, it was so incredibly vital that I learned this problem. With it, almost all of the theory trouble I've been having would be solved. And it wasn't as if I didn't try to muddle through on my own. I needed help, desperately needed it, and Sasuke was literally the only choice I had. Everyone else was either a stranger, or otherwise unable to help.

So I managed to pester him until we reached the edge of the school property. I was about to turn away for home, when he finally gave in.

"Look, you complete idiot. Why do you even want to figure it out so badly? If you really need help to figure it out, then just give up."

"Well." I said, surprised that he finally spoke. "I just really want to pass. And I need to know this. I don't want to give up, even if it means I have to beg you for help." I gulped, saying the last part a little more quietly. I was nervous again. This person hates me, after all. How could I expect to get help from him?

"You don't even have a chance at passing anyways. You aren't even fit to spar with the class, even though most of them suck."

I nodded. "I know that. It doesn't mean that I shouldn't still try my best to pass."

"Hnn, you can't be serious. How pathetic can you get, going into something with the full knowledge of how incompetent you are. It's just pointless strife. "

"I'm not arguing here. I know I'm pathetic, stupid, and weak. That's why I'm asking for a little help. So I won't be like that forever." I turned my head in shame as I said this. Unwilling to look at him while I admitted my flaws.

He groaned. "Stop your annoying pity party, it's grating on my ears." I nodded hesitantly.

"So you'll help?"

"Hmmph, I'll write you a note on it, tomorrow. Don't expect me to baby you through it, this is just so you can't go crying to Iruka." Nothing more to be said, he went on his way. I sighed in relief.

Can't believe that I managed to do that. I actually got him to help out, at least a little. I mentally gave myself a high five. I don't care what anyone says, that's an accomplishment in my book. I smiled on my way to my training place. In a strange and roundabout way, things were turning up just a bit.

* * *

A/N

So I'm kind of tired, and didn't bother to read this over. It's probably chock full with silly mistakes, but I want to at least get it out because it's been so long. SO SO LONG. The purpose of this was to try and develop Aurora a bit more. I wanted to show that she isn't perfect. Sure, she's getting stronger, but at a rate I think is acceptable considering the show.

Self motivation and discipline is one of her stronger points, but I wanted to show that it isn't flawless by a long shot, especially right now. It was a bit of a vulnerable point for her. I like to think that it would be really hard to keep going under those conditions, with nothing to show for it. She just needed a little push to remind her that she really is improving. And yeah, hopefully neither she nor Sasuke were too out of character. I tried my best. Remember, she's not really the normal kind of shy, It's entirely to do with her sister that she gets all shy. So I like to think in situations pretty removed from that situation, Aurora could square her shoulders and just go for it. I especially tried to emphasize that it's only because she knew it was absolutely necessary. Sorry for the short chapter, by the way. I'll try to do better next time. Until next time, I guess.


	9. Shock

So it turns out there was a reason for Cere's disappearance lately. I knew I hadn't seen her the past few days at lunches and breaks, but I thought nothing of it. After all, I was busy worrying with other things, like getting the unbelievably stubborn ass (otherwise known as Sasuke) to help me out with the weird physics/math we were learning in class.

Who teaches physics to12 year-old ninjas in training, anyways?

But anyways, I did manage to score a note from Sasuke, detailing all the little steps involved in setting the equation up, as well as which variable meant what. It was extremely helpful, even if he only did it in order to spend as little time as possible having to deal with me. That's okay though, cause I don't like him too much either.

I actually discovered the source of my sister's disappearance right as I was studying the note. At first all I heard was a loud shriek. By this point it was easy enough to identify the voice as one of the three big fangirls. Either Sakura, Ino, or Manami. I couldn't tell. The interesting thing about this though, was that the scream was not of excitement, but of fear.

Naturally everyone swiveled around to see what the commotion was. Sakura stood up from her seat, pointing at the desk in fear.

"Spiders, everywhere!" She shouted loudly. Soon, the voices of Ino and Manami joined in, with equal amounts of disgust and terror. Sure enough, as everyone stood to have a better look, tiny black bodies began to scurry over the surface of their respective desk spaces.

That ended up unleashing mayhem. There were so many spiders, enough to make anyone shudder, especially as they began to spread throughout the whole room. I looked over to my sister briefly. She wasn't freaking out. Instead, she was laughing loudly, pointing at the scared looks on the girls' faces. There was no way she would be laughing so early, before the spiders were even removed. Not unless she had performed the prank.

The room was spider-free in record time. Probably because of the whole ninja thing. Plus, this kid named Shino was here. I discovered he had a strange connection to bugs, seeing as a swarm of flying insects erupted from his big sleeves to herd the spiders one-by-one out the window. Cerelia was still giggling in between a victorious smirk. Now, a few other people were laughing too, including Naruto.

That is, until Iruka sensei began looking for the perpetrator.

"Alright, that wasn't funny! Who is it?" He demanded loudly. A simple enough request, but not one I could answer. I was certain Cerelia was the one who did it. After all, she was missing at breaks over the past few days, and at home she would retire to the bedroom with a notepad and a pen. Not to mention, the most damning evidence was the premature amusement. She had not one spark of shock or fear as far as I knew. Not that she was afraid of bugs, but any normal person would be a little nervous when suddenly confronted by a mass of spiders.

It seemed that sensei reached similar conclusions, after quickly determining that the little stunt was not performed by the usual pranksters. Naruto would have claimed it happily had he done it, and Kiba, as I discovered the boy with the puppy was called, was a terrible liar. Iruka sensei glared disapprovingly at Cerelia as she enthusiastically shouted, "Take that, fan girls!". I saw our sensei put his head in his hands with a groan, before straightening with authority.

"Cerelia, come up here this instant!" He yelled with more than a little fury. I flinched, after all, no teacher had ever held her accountable for anything. None of them had ordered her up to the front of the room like that, especially. I knew in my mind that this place was different, and that Iruka-sensei was different than the other teachers. He had told her off slightly about being late, and about making non-subtle insults in class about both Sasuke and the three fangirls. It was a different thing entirely, however, to see sensei point to his desk firmly, and to see Cere's eyes light up in shock, indignation, and then fear, until she finally walked up to the desk with a face flushed in nervousness.

"Were you the one who set the spiders up?" Iruka sensei demanded harshly. He was usually a very kind and easygoing teacher, except for when students well and truly disrupted class. That was when he put his strict personality on. I've seen it happen multiple times to Naruto, once with Kiba, and another time with Manami. All of them probably deserved the treatment, because the punishments were generally fair, namely cleaning up their own mess, so the anger and loud voice was probably just meant to scare students into submission. I supposed that made sense, it was a little mean, yes, but this was also a school where you were brought up to kill other people for a living.

It also seemed that the "scary Iruka" persona was working. Poor Cerelia, who hadn't before had a teacher that would even bat an eye at her behavior, was quaking in her shoes. She seemed at a loss of what to say. I could imagine what was going through her head. Should she confess and get in trouble? Or deny in order to possibly get out of it, but risk more trouble if the teacher didn't believe her? And since sensei had already confronted her about it, she probably didn't think he would fall for her innocent facade.

"Well... um.., I guess I did." Cerelia muttered, staring pointedly at the ground. Was that truly Cerelia? Was I seeing things? She looked so.. submissive. For a second, I thought I was looking at a mirror. At that moment, I realized that we were actually quite similar in appearance, barring her superior skin, body shape, hair and eyes.

"What do you have to day for yourself? You have only been here for two months, there is no reason to target specific students. That is harassment, and even though this is a ninja academy, we do _not_ support it, or allow it!"

He continued to rant to her. He was laying it on her, even thicker than he did with the other troublemakers. I realized belatedly that there actually was a reason for that. Any pranks in the class had targeted sensei, or the class as a whole, never any student or group in particular. I almost thought that Cerelia was going to burst into tears, she looked scared, embarrassed, and a little angry. There was no way she would cry though, not in front of the entire class. She rarely cried, and now that I knew just how badly she wanted to impress the kids here, there was no way she would give in.

Finally, Iruka-sensei calmed down. "I just have to say I am very disappointed right now, Cerelia. I thought you would be taking the opportunity granted to you by the Hokage more seriously. It seems you do not understand how lucky you and your sister are. Please talk to me at break to discuss your punishment."

Cerelia nodded stiffly and walked back to her seat in a distinct lack of enthusiasm. I broke off my stare as she glanced in my direction. Her pride probably took a huge blow from this event, and I did not want to become a target because of that. I shook my head and frowned, looking down at my hands. Truly, this was a strange occurrence. Even in my own mind, I could not express how alien that moment was.

It has obviously crossed my mind before, but in this world it seemed like everything I knew about Cerelia had changed. Where did that luck go? The kind of luck that won her perfect grades, the adoration of every person, the spotlight of attention, the perfect friendly attitude towards everybody. It was just her that seemed to be changing, too. I felt the same as ever. Sure, I had garnered a little more self confidence, probably because of the people here helping me out. And people were paying more attention to me than before, I wasn't in the shadows so much. It was strange, but a good thing. Still, I didn't feel any change in myself. I felt just as incompetent as back home, and not a bit worse.

So why was she changing and not me? If anything, I was improving bit by bit (really, just a tiny little pinch) in the way that I interacted with people. Before, I only talked to people who talked to me. I wasn't a social outcast, just that one person in the background that no one disliked, but wasn't worth inviting over for birthday parties. Now, I was still pretty similar to that, but Naruto talked to me between class often, and I even started conversations with him time to time. He was so easy to talk to, and yet he still disliked Cerelia.

When I thought about it, not too many people liked Cerelia in this class. It was a strange and scary thought. After all, not counting Sasuke that disliked everybody equally, I was received with indifference at worst, and casual acceptance at best. Why would they be okay with me, but oppose Cerelia? I guess it was true that she outright ignored a big section of the class, I assume they were unfortunate enough to not be included in the fictional version of this world. She also went to great lengths to oppose Ino, Sakura, and Manami, as well as Sasuke although there was a different reason for that.

That left a small portion of students that she tried to befriend. Naruto was included in that, and was also the most outright with his denial. Most of them either tolerated her awkwardly or gave her subtle hints of dislike. I knew because Cere usually regaled me with all the details of her efforts, and how baffled she was at her troubles.

That would make two of us, I thought with a hint of amusement.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Not knowing what Cerelia would be like, I put in extra time in my training before heading home. I did believe her when she said she would never hit me again, she was so sincere and heartfelt when she apologized, after all. However, I still had reservations of possibly facing her wrath again. What if she lost her control? I didn't want to be hurt again.

When I got back, it was slightly anti-climatic. Cere chose to say nothing, and brooded silently while I prepared dinner.

"So... what did Iruka-sensei tell you to do?" I asked, tactfully leaving out the word "punishment". Cerelia turned her head to the side with a huff.

"I have to write a page long apology to the fangirls. And detention for two weeks."

"Oh.", I commented. "Well, that's not too hard." It did sound easy enough. If the prank had happened to any normal person back home, it would result in at least one day of suspension, especially if it were perceived as bullying students.

Cerelia said nothing more on the matter until the next week.

I was getting somewhat more used to the two pound weights. Just to the point where I was slightly less tired. There was something else bothering me lately, anyways. I had started to feel a slight strangeness in the air, buzzing through my body and in my ears. It was aggravating, and had put me on edge since I noticed it several days ago. I thought maybe I was starting to get sick. Other than that, however, everything seemed normal, until I came home to see Cerelia at the table, head covered by arms.

She jumped up when I walked over. Cerelia was in tears, and muck was staining her hair an ugly brown-gray. Her eyes were red and puffy, showing that she had been crying for a while. Cerelia ran to me, and out of reflex, I hugged her, feeling rather bewildered.

"U-um, what's wrong, Cere?" I cautiously asked. She wailed and squeezed my torso.

"It's not fair, Aurora, it just isn't! It isn't supposed to go like this!"

"Hold on, sis. Did something happen?" I prodded. Might as well find out what exactly the problem was.

"Everything! Well, t-this is because of the fangirls. They, they threw this bucket of mud at me!" She started sobbing some more, but with some effort, I got her to sit down and explain the whole story.

"Well, I was just walking around town, minding my own business. T-then the blue haired fangirl-"

"Mizumiya Manami.", I added.

"Right. She's not in the manga, so she doesn't mean anything. So I didn't think anything when she told me my prank was pretty cool. I mean, I know it was cool, no matter what the sensei says, so I figured they would have gotten over it. Then she said, we should go to Ino's flower shop, and we could hang out to show that we got over the prank." She shook her head sadly and continued:

"I didn't want to be friends with the fangirls, but for some stupid reason, everyone else is avoiding me in class, and I figured I could at least pretend. Maybe I could use them to get at least some popularity standing. B-but then, we were right at the door, and the two others jumped out at me, Sakura dumped a bucket of mud all over my hair, and they were all laughing. At me! They made fun of me, and said I was dumb for falling for that."

She started tearing up once more, but wiped her eyes.

"It was horrible! Why would they do something so mean, even if they are stupid fangirls! Of course I got mad, and tried to teach them a lesson for messing with me. But before I could land a punch on one of them, Ino pushed me into the dirt! She pushed me! I jumped up to try and kick her, but she dodged and punched me in the side of the face. Why would she hit me, she can't do that! It was stupid, how could she be so much better than me at fighting!"

Now, Cerelia's eyes were alight in anger.

"I've even trained since I got here, not every day, but I don't need to train like that because skills just come to me! I'm a natural, and the fangirls were always shown to be weaklings! How could she possibly be faster than me! It's not supposed to work that way, I'm supposed to be the best! And her fighting back is totally uncalled for! She deserved the hit, she wasn't supposed to dodge it, the bitch! I hate her, and I hate the fangirls even more now!"

I gulped. Now, to make sense of this.

"Well, Cerelia, it's only natural for people to fight back when someone attacks them. Plus, even if Ino, Sakura, and Manami are considered weak, they've had ninja training for much longer than we have. It will take a lot of hard work and training to catch up to them." I reasoned.

"No, hard work isn't my thing, and you know it. And stop mentioning Mana-what's-her-face. She isn't worth mentioning. Maybe the new settings are temporarily slowing my progress. Plus, I was distracted by a stupid headache. My head has been buzzing since yesterday.

"Oh, you two? I started feeling weird a few days ago. Not really a headache, but a twitchy, fuzzy feeling all around and inside me. Is it an illness only found around here?" I added, glad to change the subject. Plus, I was curious.

Cerelia looked thoughtful. Then suddenly, her eyes widened. "I think it's chakra!"

I tilted my head. "Then why didn't we feel it when we first got here?"

She smiled. "I think it was a side effect of the circle-jutsu I performed. That would explain why I haven't had any progress with jutsu! It must have been protecting us from the sudden addition of an entirely new energy form. After all, our bodies were adjusted on the way over to include a chakra supply and network, and it might have been overwhelming to suddenly be able to feel all of that flowing through and around us."

"Probably," she reasoned, "we were almost completely numbed to chakra so we could slowly get used to it. And now that we're more accustomed, the jutsu's influence is slipping. But we're still not native to this world, so it's going to feel all strange and painful as we feel more. That's so relieving, good thing I gave up on jutsus for the time being, there's no way I could have made much progress. Now it should be easier."

That was an interesting idea. It made sense. I hadn't made much progress on my jutsu either, still trying to get my single clone to stand upright and not look quite so sick. At least it didn't look like a wooden dummy anymore. I just assumed I was bad at Ninjutsu, and needed far more practice. While I was hopeful that the new awareness would help me improve myself, I sincerely wished that it wouldn't feel so uncomfortable forever.

"Hey, maybe I'll get back at the fangirls with Ninjutsu now! Taijutsu is useless anyways, compared to awesome ninja stuff like Ninjutsu and Genjutsu anyways. It's just like martial arts from home. I should go to the library to find an ultimate cool jutsu, like maybe that twin dragon thing that Kakashi used against Zabuza."

I blinked slowly.

"But what about Lee and Gai-sensei? They only use Taijutsu, and they're pretty strong." Cerelia turned her nose up at my comment.

"Oh, those two are just freaks about it. You have to be insane to only count on Taijutsu and make it work. They're the exception. Plus, Taijutsu is kind of icky. I always sweat in Taijutsu practice, and it has too many rules. And plus, I'm valuable so I should stay in the back and wipe all the enemies with super-awesome elemental jutsu. And with my kekkei genkai, once the darned thing unlocks..."

I shifted uncomfortably. Cerelia was acting dangerous again, making assumptions. Similar assumptions is what got me hurt a month ago. Now I was getting nervous being near her.

"Well, Cerelia, um, I don't think the library will have many jutsu other than the basic ones. You told me information was guarded in this world more so than back home. Each village has special jutsu passed down, and each clan has signature moves that aren't taken outside the family. I've been to the library, there are guarded sections cut off to students, and even other ninja. You'd probably have to be a Jounin to get access to any really powerful stuff." I explained.

"And, ummm, I... don't think you have the, um, ability to use those yet, since, well, uh, we are just academy students... and not even at the class level." I mumbled quietly. She heard me though, she was right beside me after all.

"Hmmph, don't put me on your level! Of course, you can't do anything like that yet. I know I could handle any jutsu with a little time. Well, maybe I'm not at the super summoning jutsu level just yet, those are kage level. I'm pretty sure if I ask nicely, they'll let me take a peak. After all, it's for a good cause. I need to get back at those fan-bitches. They were way out of line, and I need to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible."

"Oh, it might not have been that out of line. They were just getting back at what you did. After all, you pranked them first." I spoke. I knew I shouldn't have said it, by the way Cerelia looked at me.

"**What!** I can't believe you, Aura! Why would you take their side? They hurt me, and threw mud all over me! The spiders have nothing to do with it, that was to show Sasuke that I was cool too, since the hard-to-get isn't really working yet. I wanted to speed it up, he's not receiving it as well as he should be. No, this mud thing was horrid and outright bullying! I had to walk home covered in mud and grime. It was so embarrassing!"

Normally, I would back done. I would say "Of course, you're right, Cerelia, I'm sorry." I would apologize and agree with her because she's never wrong.

But that's not what I did. Because now I knew she wasn't the perfect being I thought she was. Cerelia was still my sister, and I still trusted her, but the trust had cracked. It wasn't as blinding as before. I could see the flaw in her argument, instead of wallowing in self pity. So I got a little annoyed. I raised my voice. I told her what I really thought of the situation.

"Now, Cerelia, calm down. I'm not picking their side! You just have to see things from their perspective. You come with no warning, out of nowhere, and suddenly prank them in the middle of class. Of course they would want to get revenge. It is bullying, and I'm not saying they should have done that, but you shouldn't have started anything eith-"

She cut me off mid-word. Her face was thunderous. "No! You're wrong, you don't know anything! How come even you are turning against me!"

I raised my voice, "I'm not turning against you, Cerelia! You need to understand things from other people's point of view sometimes! The world doesn't revolve around you!"

I gulped, unable to stop my voice before uttering the last sentence. I felt scared, nervous, and relieved all at once saying that. Such simple, obvious words. In theory, they were absolutely true, but everything in my world did seem to revolve around her. And now, in this world of ninja, it just didn't anymore.

The freedom felt by those words soon came crashing around my ears. Cerelia didn't just look thunderous, now she looked volcanic. Swiftly, she brought her arm up, fist raised threateningly.

Time stopped for me. I didn't really know what expression was on my face as I stared at her fist. No, she was going to hit me again. I was scared, oh so scared. I didn't want to be hurt again, not by my sister. Anyone else, I could take it even if it hurt physically. I couldn't take another hit from Cerelia, the person I still looked up towards despite recent behavior.

I don't know what I would have done if she actually went through with it right there. I never would know, as the hit never came. I didn't even realize I had crumpled down preemptively, arms covering my face in fear, and pulling my legs up and under me in a ball. I stayed like that for a few seconds, until I heard an odd strangled noise.

Cerelia's fists were down. She looked so heartbroken.

"Y-you thought I was going to... hit you again? Oh Aurora, I promised I wouldn't!" she whispered sincerely.

"I would never hurt you Aura, I'm so sorry! I just raised my fist because I was so mad, but I was never going to hit you! I learned my lesson!" She leaned over me in an awkward hug. I couldn't help but flinch back. I had seen her eyes. They looked so angry, like she would do whatever she could to stop me from saying anything else."

"I really didn't mean to frighten you, really! Please calm down, it was nothing, okay? I'm not mad at you, I forgive you. There's nothing wrong anymore, see?"

Slowly I opened up from my defensive posture. I looked at her suspiciously, averting my gaze soon after. She really didn't seem to mean it, but it was still wrong. I was totally convinced of what was about to happen. Really though, she didn't pull through with it, and even apologized for what the situation looked like. There wasn't much I could do, though my mind was frazzled with left over fear.

"O-okay... I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Cere. I know you'll keep your word. I just panicked. You looked scary. I-I think maybe it's just the chakra getting to us. It probably shortened both our tempers." I carefully extracted myself and walked over to the bedroom, flopping down on the cheap cot I had bought for myself, since Cerelia had taken the single bed that the apartment had come with.

I had a lot to think about. It probably was just the annoying chakra buzz that had gotten to the both of us. It was making Cerelia irrational and me overly nervous. After all, she promised never to hit me again, and that punch only ever happened once. Honestly, she has a good track record to go off of, and I should trust her. She's also my sister! She wouldn't intentionally hurt me, except for losing her control that time.

Still, she seemed quite off the handle this time, too. She was a lot more angry here, more problems crossed her, and she was out of her element. I was worried, yes, but I had nothing to go off of. I closed my eyes, but being unable to sleep I just lied on my side, trying not to delve any further into the situation. Cere looked like she was going to, but in the end, she did not. For now, that's all there was to it.

Soon later, Cerelia came to bed as well. I cracked an eye open after I heard her settling under the covers. She was staring at her own hands, deep in thought. I wondered what it was about. She flexed and un-flexed her fingers, clearly contemplating something. A shiver flew down my spine. I did not want to know what she was thinking about.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night.

* * *

a/n: Wow okay, sorry about the short chapter again. And for not reading it over again because I'm so incredibly lazy that all I did upon finishing was run a spell check. Lol. But at least I updating not AS late as usual. I don't know why, really, but I always write faster when i'm doing Cere/Aura fights and the angst that comes with. My fingers were a-flying ha ha. Also, if anyone's interested, they should check out my profile for art of this fanfiction. I draw about it from time to time, and there are even two fanarts on there, that I love very much C: so proud lol. It doesn't even matter how "good" art is, per se, it just makes me so happy to see another person enjoy the story so much that they would draw something for it.

Also, a special thanks to all my reviewers. I never thought I'd get 84 reviews! That's almost a hundred. So many, it's crazy! Thank you all again for supporting the story. It's true that I write for myself in general, but it's so motivating to see people comment on my work (not to get a swelled head). Probably why I've made it to the 9th chapter. Longest story yet, so let's see how far I can go with it.

Until next time, Peeeeaaace out :D


	10. Chakra

Adjusting to the presence of chakra was really an exercise in frustration. For one thing, it didn't really get better. It was a constant buzzing in my ear, a sharp smell in my nose, a tingling sensation across my fingers, an unidentifiable spice on the tip of my tongue. In fact, the only sense it didn't invade was my vision, and I was very grateful of that. People probably think I'm crazy enough as it is, trying to plug my ears or nose at random times. I can't help it, chakra tends to sound like nails on a chalkboard, and as for its smell, I couldn't even find a comparison though it was obscenely strong and invading.

At some point, I wondered if something was wrong with me. Cerelia was having trouble with it too, I could see by the way she flinched at the same time a particularly intense wave hit me as well. But when I quizzed her, she told me she only felt it in her head, not through the senses as I did. Obviously, I knew it was all in my head too, but for some reason it just felt so physical, invading me at every turn.

Not to mention, Cere got over it pretty quickly too. In two weeks time, I had reached the climax of pain, while Cerelia was on the mend, still being acutely aware of the chakra, but in more of a relaxed fashion. For a few days, it was so bad that I could barely move. Although I had resolved to always do my training exercises every day, during that time, I went straight home and to bed. I do have the resolve to keep my training up, really, but there's only so much you can do when every plant and creature is screaming their energy directly into your ears.

It got so bad one time that Iruka sensei actually stopped me at lunch break. I was rubbing my nose furiously in an attempt to drive out the acidic scent out, not that it would do any good because it wasn't actually going through my nose. It must have looked like I had a bad cold. All I knew was that suddenly, it was getting worse and worse until I realized it was because sensei was standing in front of me.

"You know, Aurora, you can take a day off if you're feeling really sick. You don't look too good."

I glanced up at him, making an impressive attempt to ignore the maddening chakra. It was starting to invade my ears again.

"I'm fine." I said shortly, though it was a lie. It wouldn't be smart to tell him this was all caused by the sudden ability to feel chakra. After all, they could all feel chakra just fine, and they didn't get assaulted by the damn stuff.

The teacher sighed. "Okay, okay. But if this is something contagious, then you should go home. It's hard to teach kids if they all have the flu."

I shrugged. It definitely wasn't contagious, nor was it the flu. It wasn't like I was planning on going home, either.

After the break, we had a review on the body replacement technique, which as could be imagined, was torture on my sensitive mind. Even though the other students had low chakra reserves, at least compared to a full ninja, they threw their chakra around with almost reckless abandon. They just didn't have the control, and took out more power than they needed. That extra power slapped across my face like a swarm of angry bee stings.

After they used the technique, then came the high pitched whine of spent chakra. It wasn't quite deafening, but it was inescapable. By the time everyone had gone and done their thing, I was ready to throw up. Then Iruka sensei glanced up at the class. More specifically, he met my eyes, and turned to Cerelia as well.

"Well, I know you've only been here a few months, but would either of you like to give it a try? This isn't for marks yet."

There was no way I could do that. Not when the individual chakra of everyone around me was clambering for my attention. I looked up at the teacher to mutter an excuse. Only, when I was about to speak, Cerelia cut me off from the other side of the room.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot!" She smiled sweetly and stood up from her spot, coming down to face the teacher. She gave the wooden chair that was meant to be her replacement tool a contemplative stare. I looked on in interest. Cerelia was talking about how much better she had been getting at using her chakra, ever since the sensitivity started going down to normal levels again. I wished I could be in the same place, instead of continuing to suffer needlessly.

She formed the necessary seals with only slight hesitation, and I felt the release. It was bad, the chakra blew into me, and I could swear I felt pins tearing through my skin. She was using far too much chakra. Way more than the others were using, if the intensity was anything to go by. However, the resulting sound of the performed move was controlled. It still abused my eardrums, but not any more than the other students. That did say something for her control. Even though she molded too much, she used what she needed effectively.

I only tore away from my assessment to see Cerelia where the chair had been, jutsu completed. I looked down into my desk guiltily. Now, how was I supposed to refuse? If Cerelia could do it without much effort, then I should at least be able to try.

It was true that I'm used to not being able to do anything compared to my sister, but at the very least if she could do it, it was within the realm of possibility. I did learn the lock picking from her, after all. Plus, in this world, Cerelia seemed to be more human. She made mistakes, wasn't able to do everything perfect the first time, and was in roughly the same boat I was- namely struggling to catch up to the other students.

So, now that Cerelia was coming to my level closer than she's ever been, how could I say I had no hope of trying? I scooted up quietly, nodding at sensei to signal my intentions. The whole class's eyes were on my back, including Cerelia's. I gulped uncomfortably, but continued to the front. For once, I could ignore the chakra wailing in my ears and assaulting my nostrils. It was there, sure, but had finally taken a back seat now that I had a set goal in mind.

I faced the wooden chair with an air of nervousness, yet also determination. It was scary to be in front of the class like this, scariest of all to have Cerelia sitting there, watching and judging with the rest of them. It was terrifying, but I didn't have room in my head for fear. I was here to do something that would be absolutely impossible in my world. To have your body switch places with another object at a speed which can't be seen by the naked eye, would be crazy.

Here, it wasn't just possible, it was an easy feat that any ninja student had to accomplish if they wanted to pass school. And now that I was here, it was possible for me, too. I knew the seals, I knew the method. I even studied and practiced it on my own, with little to no success. Even so, I was determined to at least try. It was the first time I was to perform a jutsu in front of the class and teacher.

Giving the chair an intensive glare, I formed my seals, making sure to mix my chakra like I did before. I hadn't really tried anything chakra related since the sensitivity thing started popping up. It had been painful, and distracting. It was like that now, I could feel the chakra welling up like a fire inside me. Literally, it felt like my chest was being scorched from the inside. It hurt something fierce, and it was all I could do to not cry out. That wasn't all though, the chakra had to go somewhere. I wasn't sure how much I needed, so I instead sent a stream of it through the channels in my arms and down to my hands, where I formed the last seal.

My arms shook with the exertion. Now it wasn't just a fire, it was like lava. Boiling hot yet also as heavy as lead. It burned through the new and delicate pathways designed for it, erupting out of my hands like fireworks. It was all I could do to control it like I had studied. When I tried it before, it was like trying to wake a sleepy dog with a stick. No matter what I tried, it was near impossible to make the power come out. Now it was like trying to direct a tornado. It was scary and powerful and nearly impossible to make it do anything. I was expecting something different, but not this different.

Although, evidently my studying had paid off a little bit, because the next thing I knew, my face was planted in the floor where the chair had been. I got up carefully, holding my bruised nose. The chair wasn't exactly where I had been. In fact, it was blasted several metres behind where I had been. Everyone was laughing, and while I didn't appreciate it much, I smiled too. It was kind of funny.

Iruka sensei smiled encouragingly. "That wasn't bad for your first try. The challenge some kids have with the body replacement is that it requires a little more control than some of the others. In fact, when this was introduced to the class last year, most of them made the same mistake, putting too much chakra into it. While it may seem cool to overpower everything, this is a jutsu that really is only good when you use a small amount. Just practice until you can feel how much is right. You have the technique right."

I couldn't help but grin at the complement. I went back to my seat feeling pleased with myself. Yes, I failed, and of course it wasn't the most ideal outcome. However, I had proved to myself that it was possible. It was a much better attempt than any other technique had been. The pain was worth it.

The only problem was, I couldn't really continue to practice it. The pain was worth it for one attempt, but it hurt so incredibly much, I wasn't sure I could perform it over and over again, knowing how bad it could get. I resolved to deal with it later, as the teacher was going into lecture mode now. He was going into how important control is to using anything requiring chakra. He went on to explain what I had noticed earlier, that the class had been forming far too much chakra, even if they applied just the right amount to the body replacement, there was a lot of extra energy lost.

Iruka sensei explained that although the overall chakra expended was small, because this was a small power jutsu, the same problem would be multiplied in more powerful and intensive techniques. This would make a ninja end up exhausting his entire supply in just a few jutsu, even if they were executed with perfect control.

In other words, the focus of the next unit was to be on the steps of using Ninjutsu Before they had just been told to "mix, move, then apply". Now it was time to go more in depth with molding and controlling the form, movement and strength of chakra. I paid rapt attention, as I didn't have years of building up to this point.

As I listened to the lesson, a thought struck me. I really, truly, needed more chakra control. Not only would it hurt less to mold if I didn't use so much, it might help my sensitivity problem. It was possible, after all, if I could control my own chakra, maybe I could control how badly I sensed the energy outside me. It was something to look into, especially since I needed to be able to use Ninjutsu as soon as possible.

Then again, I didn't want to use the control to numb myself again. Even though it hurt, my ability to actually control my energies was invaluable to any chance of success. There had to be a way to take the pain factor down, but still be aware of chakra. Not to mention, it could come in handy to sense the stuff, as long as it didn't burn like now.

So at the end of the day, I found myself waiting until the class had all left, before I could ask Iruka-sensei for help. I was relieved when most of the kids had gone, my sensing had become nearly unbearable again.

When I asked the teacher for advice on chakra control, it was like opening a floodgate. He was very pleased, to say the least. Apparently, most kids only practiced control for as little as possible, and only used one control exercise, leaf sticking.

"Now, while leaf sticking is taught for a reason, as it helps your control and ability to concentrate, it's not the only exercise out there. For every level of skill there are dozens of activities to help fine tune your control. And, like I keep telling everyone, it's best to use variety! There are so many types of jutsus, using chakra in so many ways, so of course you need to be able to mold and use it in many ways..."

He went on and on for a bit, before realizing again that only I was standing there, listening to his rant. He sighed and shook his head.

"I don't have time to root around for handouts on control exercises, but I know several books you can find in the general library section, where civilians have access to. There are more advanced books that you can get a hold of once you're a Genin, but these are great for beginner level. If you can manage most of the techniques outlined in them by the end of the year, you will be in good shape towards passing the Ninjutsu portion of the exam, at least."

He took a blank scrap of paper and scrawled the names and authors of a few books, handing the paper to me. I thanked him and headed out, hoping sincerely that somewhere in these books there would be something to help ease the stress of chakra on my mind and body. At least this time, I knew where the library was. I winced at the memory of the first time I tried to find the library.

If Lee hadn't been there... well, not only would things have turned out much worse than they had, I probably wouldn't be here right now training to be a ninja. It's funny how little things like that could change a person's entire life.

Well, I'd visited the library a few times of the past two and a half months. The first time was out of curiosity, as I had been taking walks through the city to get a better sense of direction. It was big, and rather like libraries back home, except for one major difference.

The Konoha library had a lot more security. It was nothing like the security cameras and locked doors I was used to. There were warning sings for off limit places, that held ominous punishments for he who entered unbidden. There were plain old restricted sections, as well as a big set of double doors that were ninja-only. All guarded by at least one Chunin, or in some cases a big chakra barrier. I sympathized with the ones who had to guard. It was a necessary job, yes, but not a glamorous one. For every time someone tried to break through to the guarded information, there were thousands of times where absolutely nothing happened.

When I got there, it took a long time to find the books mentioned. After all, this world didn't use the Dewey Decimal System. Still, it was only a matter of time since the books were organized with some degree of common sense. Books of similar subject were placed together, and those were organized alphabetically.

The books themselves were very thick, but luckily filled with illustrations and helpful tips for the beginner idiot. I signed them out without any trouble, although the librarian probably gave me a strange look. I don't really look like ninja material, after all.

While the control exercises didn't do anything for the sensitivity like I had hoped, after another week it began to relax on its own. Cerelia, on the other hand, was completely recovered at that time. In fact, she often told me how great it felt, to not feel stray energies at every turn, and yet be capable of summoning the energy herself. I guess that was a good thing, although I couldn't help but be slightly bitter due to the fact I was still suffering.

Instead of being overwhelmingly painful, it was now overwhelmingly irritating and distracting. I had just started feeling slight differences in chakra. When I concentrated, I could tell a difference between plant life and animal or human chakra. The affected senses were separate now. When it was being created by a person, or being molded, or being pushed out of the body to no effect, I felt it in my skin. When it was being used in a technique, or when I was close to a person, I could hear it. I could smell it everywhere, so most likely that was for when chakra was in its normal, unmixed state when someone wasn't really using it.

So, although it was annoying, I could see that an opportunity had presented itself. Especially the way I was smelling chakra. It would be extremely helpful if I could strengthen that sense, but at the same time preventing it from being painful. I had begun to trawl through the library for more information in chakra sensing, and was about to go there again today, when Cerelia burst through the door.

It was a good deal past dinnertime, and I assumed she would be out for the night when I got back from my after school training (which I was very glad to be able to continue again) to not find her anywhere. But then, the door blasted open and in she came, excited like she hadn't been in a long time. Cerelia was energetic, her eyes shining like they first had the night before we started going to the academy.

"I did it, Aurora, I did it! I can't believe it, I did it!", she shouted in pent up excitement. I turned to face her. She was jumping up and down in glee.

"Wait, what? What did you do, Cere?"

"I unlocked my bloodline limit, finally! I told you about that, right? How I drew into the rune that I would get a limit based on what I pictured during the transfer over here? Well, ever since we started feeling chakra, I've been working on unlocking it! Of course, I worked on it before, but nothing was happening. Now, I finally did it!"

She was talking so fast, I was sure she would faint.

"That's awesome, Cere! Is it exactly what you pictured?" She grinned in response to my question.

"Yeah, it is awesome! It's not exactly what I was expecting, but it's still bad ass!" Cerelia posed at the last word, as if waiting for applause.

"Oh, what changed?" I was curious, although it couldn't have been anything big if she was still happy about the outcome.

"Well, I originally had it so that when activated, I could control the elements without using chakra, and even when it wasn't activated, I would have an affinity for every element. Plus, my eyes would glow the colour of the element I was using. Most of that is true, well I don't know about the eye thing or the affinity, but anyways! It does use chakra when I control the elements, or at the very least I get very tired. I don't have to mold or control, except to activate it, but I still feel a drain."

I nodded. Of course it would work that way. It would be downright impossible to control something with just your mind and no chakra to help. Of course, the ability was very powerful even if it did drain energy. After all, it was every element she could move now. In a battle, that could be very helpful.

"Ahh, Aurora, I'm so happy! Do you want to see me use it? It looks so cooooool!" She was so enthusiastic about it, I smiled and agreed to watch. It was natural to be happy about it, I would be ecstatic to have such a power as well. Of course, I unfortunately missed the chance due to my inability to know what was going on. Still I was supportive of my sister, even if it did put me miles away form her again in terms of abilities.

Cerelia stood back in the center of the room, in front of the table. There was a left over glass of water there. She braced herself, putting both palms together, like one would in a prayer. Then, she screwed her eyes shut, and slowly spread her fingers apart, both hands still pressed against each other. Next, she brought the heel of her hands away in a quick motion, so that her fingers and thumbs were the only parts still touching, and her elbows were raised up.

Immediately, I heard a strange whine in the air. It must have been the unique sound of a kekkei genkai, as the next thing I knew, the water was out of the glass and into the air. Cerelia opened her eyes, and they were glowing a bright white. She smiled and nodded to the floating orb of water. With a flick of her fingers, it separating into five little globules of liquid. Cerelia parted her hands and made a spreading motion. The balls of water began to move farther apart, settling into a circle shape, still in midair.

Next, she made some motions with her wrist and the water began spinning, three portions in a horizontal circle, and the other two spun up and down in a tight oval. All I could do was stare dumbstruck. It wasn't just cool, it was amazing. And I didn't know how to handle it.

Cerelia combined the water bits into one big blob again, but flattened the blob into a disk. The disk began to distort and stretch and shrink, and then fell to the table in a big splash. My attention turned back to Cerelia, she was sweating and shaky. I guess it would take a lot of energy.

"You see, it's kind of annoying that it's hard to do, but it's still neat, isn't it?" Cere gave another victorious smile. I nodded again, not wanting to speak.

"Well, I'm going to bed now. I really hope it doesn't take so much out of me all the time, that would defeat the purpose. After all, at some point, I need to get back at the fan girls, and this will be perfect. Also, with this, I won't need to worry about terrible Taijutsu. I hate that class." It wasn't very late at all, in fact it was barely dark out. I supposed she could use the sleep though, as it was hard to do anything when one was chakra exhausted.

I instead sat in the kitchen silently, after wiping up the spilled water. It looked like I was being left behind once again. I thought that finally, after all this time, Cerelia was down on my level. I knew she made mistakes now. But did that even matter with a power like that? I knew I wouldn't ever be able to compete with it.

It just wasn't fair. I was working hard here. Everyday I trained for hours, I wore weights, I practiced control. But it was never good enough in the face of Cerelia. It was like my previous worries, of being useless like I always used to be at home. Cerelia would completely shadow me, yet again. I could handle her genuinely being better than me, but couldn't it at least be with some work on her part?

Well, that wasn't completely fair. She really had been practicing for a while to try and bring about her bloodline limit. However, I knew for a fact it wasn't as long as what I did, and she was never tired like I was, so she obviously wasn't pushing her limits. Unlike back home, I knew for a fact she had her limits. So why was she the one with super special powers? Didn't I deserve something like that too? Something powerful and cool?

Then, my mind suddenly reminded myself of something. What about Lee? I had spoken to him only a few times, but I knew there were few more hardworking than him. He trained even harder than I did, and for longer. Day in and day out. Yet, despite that, he had that problem with his chakra coils. He couldn't use Ninjutsu All he had to work with was physical attacks. Instead of giving up, he buckled down and worked twice as hard. He didn't complain or mope either, although he had it worse than me.

So, what did that mean for me? I realized I was whining over nothing. I couldn't change that my sister had advantages that I didn't. The world wasn't fair at all. Why did Lee never complain? Probably because he didn't constantly compare his situation with others who were better off. He went and decided that he would be the best he could be. He decided to be strong in his own right, and that was how he was able to work past a severe handicap.

I realized that I would also do well to take that idea. I shouldn't be comparing myself to Cerelia, because she isn't me. Everyone had different strengths, and in order to ever have a chance of equaling anyone in strength, I needed to ignore any disadvantages. So, I didn't get a bloodline limit. So what? I would just have to work hard with what I did have, and not worry about what I didn't.

In the end, before I finished the day, I resolved to stop comparing so much. It would be better for my sanity to only compare to my own self. I began to think, "What have I learned today?" or, "What have I done to improve myself from what I was yesterday?" As a result if that, as well as my slowly increasing stamina, I increased my training.

The next day, I had finally found a good book on sensing chakra. It explained things fairly well, too. Even some people born here had a condition similar to what I was experiencing, in which chakra was mainly felt through senses instead of purely in the head like most people. It was caused by bodies that were especially sensitive to chakra. It had advantages, especially in the ability to sense chakra signatures, but was actually a disorder because it had a huge disadvantage. Namely, using Genjutsu was nearly impossible. Apparently this was due to the fact that in Genjutsu, a ninja always applies the mirage in a way that mirrors their own structure. If someone with this disorder tried to apply a Genjutsu to a normal person, the illusion would be hazy and fake looking, if it worked at all.

Unfortunately, that concept didn't work in the other direction like it should. Because people with the disorder just have a more convoluted way of sensing, and a normal Genjutsu goes straight to the mind, it is actually even harder for the person to break a Genjutsu then normal.

It was rather confusing, even if everything was explained. Although most of the symptoms were the same as what I was experiencing, I hesitated to self-diagnose because I couldn't be sure. It was something that could appear at random, or in some cases it was hereditary. Several clans, most notably the Inuzuka, had a very diluted version of the disorder that helped them smell chakra by using a jutsu. It was enough to be helpful, but not enough to hinder their Genjutsu, although there hadn't been anyone from the Inuzuka who were too talented in the field.

After reading up some more on it, I decided to not worry. There wasn't really a way to know if I even had the disorder, and even if I did, it wasn't a huge deal. If it turned out that I had this, all I needed to do was work extra hard at being able to notice illusions. I wasn't too torn up about it, because it wasn't super rare or super debilitating. In fact, many accomplished sensor-nin had a form of this.

I took my mind off of that by concentrating once more on training. Today, I was working on my aim. At first, I tried to practice in the few training grounds that had the bulls eye targets, but a lot of Genin and academy students trained by them, and I felt too self conscious to do anything much. So, one day, I scavenged about until I found an abandoned hay bale. Or at least, I think it was abandoned. In either case, I saw it alone by an alley, and made off with it nervously, after checking that no one was watching.

I brought it to my training place, setting it up on a log. I don't know what I'd do if this place wasn't private. I managed to get some paint too, and dyed the center of the hay bale an eye-catching red. I made a few thin red circles around the dot, spacing them out evenly to resemble an actual target. At the very least, it would be easier to see how close to the middle I was getting.

I began to work through the necessary motions, my pile of kunai borrowed from the academy innocently by my side. The first to be thrown was in my hand, and I gave the hay bale a stern look as I prepared to throw. Carefully counting each movement I was supposed to make, I threw the weapon. It flew straight, but not the right direction. It glanced off the edge of the bale and bounced once across the grass, settling two metres away from the target. I growled at it. It's true I was improving, and I was happy to get close, but I wished it would land in the target zone a few times, at least.

I threw the next five in quick succession. Three glanced off like my first, one luckily landed in the outer ring, and one missed entirely because I didn't put enough force behind it. I groaned, it was hard to figure out what was going wrong without a teacher. I had finally gotten enough arm strength to make the kunai fly far enough, albeit not much further than that, but I still couldn't aim worth crap.

I walked over to pick up my fallen weapons, and the lucky shot, when someone's voice interrupted me.

"You really aren't good at throwing, are you?" I froze in surprise at the female voice, and turned around slowly. It wasn't Cerelia, as I had thought for a split second. It was Tenten, for some strange reason. I barely even knew her, and yet here she was, looking on in slight amusement.

I frowned. "No, I'm not. That's why I'm trying to practice." I didn't want to get into a long conversation, my face was already slightly warm from her seeing me fail. I had run into Lee once while buying groceries, and we ended up chatting a little. Well, I wasn't quite comfortable at making small talk yet, but I was okay listening to him. He had explained to me the different roles of their Genin team. Tenten was the weapons expert, especially with thrown weapons.

I thought she had made the comment just because she found it funny, how bad I was. But then, she came down and addressed me again.

"Wait, that didn't really come out right. I was actually just walking by, and I saw you having trouble. Do you mind if I show you a trick I use? I'm not a master, but I like to think I know my way around a kunai at the very least."

I considered her for a moment. Was she not out to laugh at me then? I could certainly use help, and I shouldn't be picky because if I asked Iruka-sensei for help he would tell me to ask Sasuke, my tutor. I could imagine how that would turn out.

So, I nodded fervently. "I need all the help I can get. I don't think I could get any worse, anyways." She laughed.

"Haha, that's the spirit. Here, let me show you how I do it..."

Tenten carefully went over the way she threw a weapon, before helping me emulate it. Essentially, it was the same idea as I had learned from sensei, but it flowed a little better. Plus, there had been several points where I had the position wrong, due to not having anyone to correct it. It was nice, to have someone actually walking me through something. I couldn't blame Iruka sensei for not doing the same, after all he had about 20 other kids to worry about who were at a more advanced stage than I was.

Eventually, we both sat down for a break.

"See, you're getting better already. It really isn't bad for only three months of training."

"Thanks for the advice. It's really hard to get help from the teacher, because everyone else is farther ahead. It's really helpful."

Tenten shrugged with a smile.

"It's no problem, really. I had to help out the struggling kids when I was in the academy sometimes, so I get where some people have trouble. I hated doing that, but this was actually nice because you paid attention. I don't mind helping you because you actually want to learn." I let out a shy smile in response.

"It has to be annoying though, I don't really get things right away. But I'm really trying my hardest to improve anyways. I'm sure if I train hard enough, I'll get it eventually." She laughed again.

"I can see why Gai sensei practically adopted you. Actually, I hope you do pass, just to piss Neji off!"

"Wait, what do you mean 'adopt'?" I glanced at Tenten with a confused expression. She smirked.

"You haven't noticed? Sensei helped you with the weights thing right? And then, when you talked to us a while ago about progress with the weights, he was impressed because in order to get to that point, you had to have been training often, if not everyday." I blushed and nodded. I didn't think anyone would be impressed at me for keeping training up, of all things.

" So, sensei and Lee decided to help you out whenever you need it, after all there are so few people who actually go to sensei for advice, because of his, well, personality. I thought it was kind of dumb, you being in the academy, and way behind at that. But then Neji said something dumb that got me riled up, and I decided to check things out. And then I saw you trying to throw kunai, and things went from there."

I scratched the back of my head. "I guess I should thank them. People don't really notice me, usually. I'll make sure to see you guys whenever I need training help, then." I said, feeling awkward but happy at the same time.

"That sounds good. You're not too bad of a person,you know? Although I guess you're probably a bit shy then, if you don't get noticed a lot." I looked down in embarrassment from Tenten's blunt personality.

"You know what?", Tenten added, " If you aren't good at making friends, then we could hang out sometime. I'm usually with my team because Gai's training regime forces us to get along, but I don't think they'd mind you joining in. Well, Neji would, but there are very few things he doesn't mind."

"Oh, thanks, really. But I think I'd die if I joined in with your team's training. I'm still very far from where I need to be in strength, and you guys are already graduated. That's really nice of you, though."

Tenten slung an arm around my shoulder. I wasn't afraid of human contact, but it didn't happen often so I was feeling a little nervous.

"Haha, you have a good point there! Well, it's just a thought. Maybe when you get a bit better, right? Well, I have to pick up groceries for my mom, so I'll see you later." And just as soon as she came, she was gone. Except now, my heart was filled with a kind of joy.

We weren't really friends yet, but by my standards, that was good progress. I hadn't had much in the way of female friends before, and Tenten's frank, tell-it-like-it-is attitude was comforting in a way. I kind of did want to hang out with her, she seemed like such a cool, yet friendly person.

More and more, I felt an unbidden feeling of belonging. This place was so different from my home world. But here, I had a friend in Naruto, and I could talk with a few others comfortably, even if it was mostly listening. There were more things to be stressed about, for sure, but I really felt alive. I felt as if I was actually using my full potential. Even if that wouldn't amount to much, I at least felt that I was using it all, and it wasn't going to waste because of insecurity.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I'm really insecure about the last scene with Tenten. I don't know if I executed that as well as I should have. This whole chapter, really, I'm kind of nervous about. I didn't do any obvious line breaks to show a time skip, I tried to make it flow through time a bit better. So, this whole chapter takes place over several weeks. Hopefully if I totally messed it up, one of you lovely readers will clue me in.

Also, this is, unfortunately, another "unfiltered" chapter (as in, I only spellchecked it, I didn't reread it). Man, I should probably get a beta, but I don't really understand how the whole system on fanfiction works, plus I'm lazy lolol.

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it. I gathered the inspiration to write it this fast (compared to my usual update speed) by rereading old reviews. All you reviewers make me happy :D Everyone who reads/reviews/faves/alerts are awesome in my books (though I'll admit reviews make me the happiest lol)

see you all next update!


	11. Spar

It had been six long months. Half a year since we came here, and half a year since I decided to join the academy's ranks. Only now, was I hearing what I have been desperately striving towards.

"Actually, I think you two are ready to participate with the rest of the class now. Come over here."

Cerelia and I were walking over to our usual spot for Taijutsu practice, well away from the others. We were sparring with each other, yes, but it was still a separate thing. My ears perked up at the one thing I had almost given up on ever hearing.

My sister wasted no time at all, Letting out a loud whoop and running over to the end of the line. I was just as excited, only I couldn't quite express it. Still, my mouth formed a proud smirk as I also took a spot. I was so nervous, incredibly so. It was amazing, all the same. Iruka-sensei looked down at his clip board, a list of who had sparred who. I knew from listening that he had the students in three skill groups, and there was a cycling system within each group. So at least, I knew I wouldn't have to fight Sasuke or someone actually competent.

Speaking of whom, I was extremely glad to have completed the final catch-up exam for the previous year two weeks ago. I never had to ask the stubborn boy for help again. Although we had reached a kind of understanding, once I had perfected the art of bothering, I was glad not to have to go through it anymore. Secretly, I acknowledged that Cerelia had it harder in that situation. I don't know how or if she ever got Sakura's help, especially after the spider incident.

In a mild state of panic, I went over all the strikes and blocks and combinations I knew of. I couldn't slip up and freeze, or I might be sent back to practice on my own. After all, Cerelia will still be sparring with the main group now even if I fail.

Sensei shouted out names, and children began to pair up. I shuffled my feet in restlessness. Who would it be, and who was in the lowest bracket? I was more familiar with the class's names now, and I could guess a few people.

Manami Mizumiya, the blue haired fangirl, was a shoe-in. I heard Iruka complain at her a lot for slacking off in Taijutsu. Her family was known for good water jutsu, both attack and illusion techniques. Apparently no other skills mattered. One would think that Naruto would be in there too, given his usual track record for school, but he was actually in the middle level group, on account of being creative enough to make up for a lack of planning.

Yuki Riketsu would be there too, he was a gentle soul who didn't even want to be a ninja. It wasn't mandatory to enroll in ninja school, but if one had the potential, it was taboo not to try. I assumed he could be good if he wanted. However, he didn't and so was waiting for the chance to flunk the exam and work in the city as a normal person. Then there was Shikamaru, who often slept in class and tried to get away with doing the least amount of work. The fourth person was Rika Kazetsuki, a friendly normal kind of girl, who just didn't take physical work seriously.

It turned out that I was right on the money. Rika paired with Shikamaru. Yuki went up against Cerelia. And I was to face Manami. I eyed her cautiously as we took our places, a respectable distance apart from the other students. She returned my look with a roll of her eyes and an arrogant smirk. She knew it was a shoe in. I could see her confidence. She thought she was in luck, with the chance of actually beating someone.

I just had to prove her wrong. Iruka sensei probably put me up against her on purpose. Arguably, she was the worst in the entire original class. Yuki tried less, but he still had the natural strength advantage of being a fairly tall and well built male. The point was, sensei knew I was the worst of the worst, and the only way I could change that standing was to beat the second worst. I wouldn't hold back.

Slowly and deliberately, I reached for my weights. They were currently 8 pounds each, and recently I had strapped another weight to my chest. The idea had actually come from Gai-sensei, who I had visited for ideas a few times after forming a friendship of sorts with Tenten. He, and Lee for that matter, had been so pleased at my continual "spring of youthfulness", that he lent me most of his old training weights for free. I was pleased to not have to buy new ones, as the expense drastically increased with the weight. With my current total of 40 pounds, it was a far cry from my earlier troubles. However impressive, a newly graduated Genin was expected to be able to carry a heavy adult body for a full day across difficult terrain, so I had a lot to improve on. As it was, the weights still wore me out, and my strength building hadn't "outrun" my training weights yet. I would not be a match if I didn't take them off.

Manami eyed me suspiciously, glancing at the neat pile of cloth-bound metal bands. The weights threw her off, from what I could see. Whether because she didn't know what they were or because she was aware the implications of having training weights, I couldn't tell. Iruka did a double take when he saw them, giving me a brief confused look. I never took them off when sparring Cerelia, after all. That would defeat the point of training. In a way, the same thought applied to this spar, but a lot more hung in the balance, and I needed to know how I fared in an equal match.

We performed a customary handshake and bow; I was reminded of the martial arts from my world. Then, at the teacher's signal, we burst into action. I wanted to know how my sister was doing, but she had her own battle and I had mine. A fist zeroed in on the left side of my face, I blocked it without even thinking, but my hand shook with the force. The hit had surprised me, but it wasn't any faster than Cerelia's spars. She didn't wait for me to collect my thoughts, and slung her arm over my shoulder in an attempt to upset my balance. My body snapped into action, slipping away from her grip and bringing a leg up to hook around her ankle in an attempt to prevent the impending grapple. I couldn't let her use my arm as leverage, so I whipped my elbow down and away, feinting a punch from my right hand.

She took the bait, surprisingly. I didn't stop to be amazed, not hesitating to knock her back with a short kick. I pushed myself toward her, reveling in the extra speed I had. Manami must have noticed it as well, for a brief second I saw her panic. She brought both arms up in a cross to protect her face, she didn't know where I was attacking from so thought fit to block the most painful place. Unfortunately, that blocked her view somewhat and there were plenty of other places to cause pain. With as fast of a strike as I could muster, I slammed my elbow under her ribcage, eliciting a gasp of released air.

The adrenaline pounded through my head. Nothing else mattered now, but that I had to win. It was a totally different experience from training on my own or fighting Cerelia, who I couldn't fully face no matter how hard I tried. It was like a kind of high, my eyes doing their utmost to track every movement, my stance changing as I prepared to kick the back of Manami's knees as she crouched in pain. I couldn't give her the chance to recover.

I could see that she recognized my intentions, and even moved slightly to deflect it, but she just wasn't fast enough. I was behind her, and with two quick jabs from my foot, her knees buckled. I saw her torso swing around and her arms flail with fists clenched. One jab caught me under the jaw and pain bloomed at the impact. That only seemed to make the rush of energy even stronger, as if the reminder of danger only enhanced my adrenaline. I stepped to her side and hooked her arms with my own, out of the way. I tugged strongly, kneeing her back to bring her crashing to the ground, trapping her thighs in a hold.

She struggled, yes, but I braced myself, and somehow I managed to lock my limbs in place, though Manami's pulling and bucking nearly broke the hold several times. After I had counted to five out loud, the requirement for victory, her body slackened. I removed myself quickly, and although the rush of the fight was still coursing through me, enough had worn off for me to be embarrassed at holding my opponent so close.

Most of the other children hadn't been fighting at the same time, since the fights were staggered so that sensei didn't have to keep watch over 11 different spars at once. So, as I stood up and glanced around, quite a few eyes were on me. Some were surprised, others amused. No one said anything about it, though, for which I was grateful. As inconspicuously as possible I refastened my weights, sliding them back under my clothes and out of sight.

Manami stood up beside me. She looked furious, but at the same time bewildered.

"How did you _do_ that? You've only been here for half a year, how the hell did you learn Taijutsu so quickly? I bet you think you're just amazing, because you can throw a punch. I hope you don't expect to pull the same crap in a real ninja match. If it wasn't a stupid spar, I would wipe your ass with my water jutsu."

I was slightly taken aback. For all she was bad at hand to hand combat, her chakra reserves were good and her control even better. Being right beside her, I could hear it as a nearly-uniform and energetic whine. Plus, even if she couldn't pull through on her promise, I wasn't here to make enemies.

"I'm sorry. It's just a single spar, right? It doesn't really mean anything." I tried to assure. She gave me an annoyed look as if to say: Well, duh!. She knew in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter. Even so, her feathers were ruffled. She wanted to save whatever face she lost after being beaten by the new kid. After some huffing and shaking of her head, Manami let it go with that. Besides, Sasuke was just starting his match now, against Kiba. Evidently, that was much more important than her own match with me.

Idly, I watched it too, marveling at the increased skill level between the two students. They were jumping around, flipping, dodging, and circling. It was amazing, how much I still needed to catch up if I wanted to actually be good at Taijutsu. It was the same with the other ninja skills, really. There was so much to catch up on. I almost wished that we could have come here earlier, and joined a younger class. That was crazy though, since I had never wanted to come here in the first place.

I made my way over to Cerelia. I couldn't read her emotions, so it probably meant she hadn't won. However, she wasn't fuming or brooding either, so she probably didn't do too badly either. Upon seeing me, she pouted.

"I almost had him, really. He tripped me at the last second, though. Then I hit my funny bone on the way down, and it hurt too much to get up. I just have bad luck I guess. At least if we were allowed to use chakra, I'd have had him with my power. I'm not worried, because it isn't a_ real _battle." She explained, before adding; "By the way. How was yours? I know you're having troubles with catching up, since you're always training and I still beat you every time. Hopefully it wasn't too bad of a loss, right?"

I froze as I was about to speak. What was I supposed to say now? Of course she always beat me, I didn't feel comfortable actually putting force into our mock battles. I thought she knew that. I couldn't just say "Oh, yeah. I actually won, and it wasn't very difficult to be honest". But I couldn't lie and say I lost, most of the kids saw the truth and might contradict me. Even if she didn't believe them, she might get mad about the fact that they all saw me capable of the feat. This required some thoughtful wording.

"Well... You know how Manami's strong point isn't Taijutsu, right? Iruka-sensei put me against her because she's the closest to my level." I saw a warning flash across Cerelia's face, and I gulped carefully before continuing.

"It was really hard, and I was just barely hanging on. She was going to beat me for sure until she tripped over a rock. I was really lucky, and I grabbed her into a hold before she got up again. Really, it was because neither of us were paying attention to the ground." I explained hastily, watching in relief as the tense atmosphere leaked out slowly. Cerelia accepted the explanation happily.

"Oh, okay. I was worried for a second, that I might have some competition!. That's the funny thing with fights, it can be all luck if you aren't careful!" She laughed, and I went along with it. It was much easier than having to find out what she would have done, had she known the truth.

I was very surprised actually, that Cerelia hadn't wiped the floor with her opponent. I knew she hadn't trained much, but that never stopped her progress before. I mused about the effects that this world has had on Cerelia. She often complained about how her hair was ratty and dull and frayed, and how it always behaved back home. Cerelia blamed the hair products in this world were just a low quality, but I never had a problem with them. It was like the sheer perfection Cerelia used to have was crumbling apart piece by piece.

Later in the day, I was approached by Iruka-sensei. He called me to his desk just as class let out. I was somewhat confused, but didn't feel too nervous. I hadn't done anything bad.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble" He answered my questioning expression. I nodded to show my agreement, although I still did not know why I was called in the first place.

"I just wanted to congratulate you in your first spar with another classmate. You did extremely well considering the amount of time you've been here. In fact, it went much better than I expected. I'm just curious, I noticed you've decided to wear training weights. Did you seek out help from outside the academy?"

I hesitated. Was it okay that I went to Gai-sensei and his team for help? I hoped not, because my increasing skill was largely thanks to them. One time I visited the team after training and even dragged out some helpful chakra sensing exercises out of Neji. Not to mention, Tenten still tutored me in a variety of weapons, although I was hopeless at most of them. Plus Lee had promised to be training buddies with me once I could keep up. It was really nice having their aid, I would not be where I was without them.

Even so, I wouldn't lie to the teacher. He would know a lie, anyhow.

"Uh, yes. I went to Gai-sensei for help in Taijutsu. He told me about using weights, and gave me some good training plans for catching up." I explained, glancing at sensei in trepidation. I wasn't that good at reading emotions, but he seemed slightly shocked.

"Really? That's... very smart of you. Most people wouldn't think to go to him, for certain reasons. But actually, he's probably the best person you could have gone to for help in strength building. That would certainly explain your improvement, I'm sure he had you working in those training plans. Does your sister go through them as well?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't think so. I wrote the planner out, but I think Cerelia has her own method."

"Yes, well, I think it would do her good to adopt your method based on today's performance. That is actually what I really wanted to talk to you about. Just the other day you sparred with your sister, and the skill change between then and now is... enormous. I can understand that you wouldn't want to hurt your sister, but I know from today that she doesn't hold back at all."

I stared blankly at him. Where was he even getting at? Of course I couldn't go all out on Cerelia, she would kill me. Seeing my expression, he continued.

"Of course I can't tell you that if you don't beat Cerelia you'll fail the course. But, just so you know, a strong portion of your mark is how you fare in a series of spars that use Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, tools or a combination of all three. Because you're being trained for service to Konoha, an important part of grading is being able to fully participate even against those who you share emotional bonds with. I'm not saying Cerelia will defect and you'll be sent to assassinate her one day, but I need to see that you can put emotional ties aside for at least a controlled fight."

My eyes gravitated to the floor. I hadn't thought of that. Would fighting against Cerelia really determine my ability to pass? I wasn't sure I could do it. Especially if it meant me beating her. Oh, I did not want to know what her reaction to that would be. I glanced back up at Iruka, who was expecting an answer.

"Right. Ninja rule number 48, right?" That rule was: A ninja's loyalty must be toward the Hokage and the good of the village, before all else. Before family, before friends, and before lovers. It was a scary rule, but an important one. Sensei nodded in agreement.

"Yes, good job for remembering it. If you can just apply that, and keep on practicing at this rate, especially with your chakra molding, I think you will be set for graduation. You can go now." he dismissed me, and I walked out quickly. The concept of having to choose between ninja life and Cerelia was disconcerting, and something I had never considered. It was worth thinking over, anyways.

* * *

I sat back on a clean patch of grass and breathed in deeply. My after school exercises were done for the day, and it was getting a little dark. The weather in Konoha was so mild that I barely noticed the "winter season"-although it couldn't really be called winter. The only sign was the slight earliness of night.

I settled myself in a cross-legged position, preparing for a recently added chakra exercise. I had been slowly honing my chakra sense, along with implementing a variety of control building tricks along with my physical training. This recent addition involved something as simple as closing my eyes and staying motionless. Except it wasn't so simple, since I was trying to open my senses.

A week before I had finally reached the point of singling out chakra bodies, being able to sense where individual people were without having to look. It wasn't at the point where I could recognize much difference from person to person barring sheer volume, but it was more precise than just knowing that people, animals, or plants were in a vague direction. I reckoned that I could pinpoint the somewhat exact position of a person with just chakra, if I was concentrating.

This optimistic idea left one response, and that was to test it. Which was why, after stretching out my chakra sense and focusing myself solely at the task in hand, I stood up purposefully. I faced the direction of chakra concentration, which I knew to be the village, and began to walk. My eyes stayed glued firmly shut, although the temptation to open them lest I stumble and trip was tremendous.

The concept needed to be worked with. If I could do this with minimal injury to myself, it would be more than helpful on missions. Especially with low visibility, knowing how to locate and avoid other ninja would give me an edge that was uncommon, at least among weaker ninja.

I will admit my eyes flew open for a second when I tripped over a large stone after reaching the path that converged on the larger road that met home base, but I closed them again hurriedly. It was especially difficult to not stumble over simple obstructions like sticks and stones, they didn't let out any chakra, not really. But when I stopped and listened, they had a kind of dull vibration that I could feel from a foot or so away. It was nearly silent, and almost identical to the sound of chakra in the air. I dubbed it dead chakra, since these things were not alive. The chakra was probably inactive and left over from when the matter had been living, like with sticks or dirt. As for stones, well maybe it wasn't chakra, but a simpler energy construct that chakra made itself out of. The point being, I was capable of sensing it if I tried, which meant I was capable of avoiding it.

Although most of the walk went without incident, I must have been a sight for the few people I did come across on the small path. I kept my hands out slightly, just because the nervousness of walking with closed eyes could not be completely brushed aside. Still, when a person came close, I stepped to the side, and a couple times I didn't step far enough, not having a perfect grip on their location, resulting in an awkward pause as the person also moved to the side. One of the people I moved too far from, rather than too close, had to have been a Jounin I felt their huge, yet controlled reserves and automatically put in a chakra earplug of sorts. It was a natural defense of sorts I had developed without knowing, since I could hear the full extent of chakra, getting near other ninja like Gai-sensei would be impossible otherwise.

Unfortunately, dulling my senses to the Jounin's chakra but not dulling the ability to avoid tree branches was a feat I hadn't yet mastered, so instead of proceeding, I took one giant step to the right and silently waited for the person to pass. Needless to say I could nearly feel the eyes of the Jounin focus on me, and I was greatly tempted to look back, but ultimately the challenge was more important and I continued on.

When I got to the larger road that the apartments were on, I faced a bigger challenge. There was no more extremely subtle lifeless objects to avoid stumbling over, but instead there were big buildings and many more people. I stood carefully for a moment, pondering the best way to proceed. Eventually, I re-cleared my mind and tried to sense out the nearby buildings to orient my position. Instead of using just my hearing of chakra, which was best for finding things within 100 metres, I added my smell.

I took a deep whiff of air, although I didn't know how much physically sniffing actually worked, it helped me concentrate. I pushed aside my normal ability to smell sweat and fresh grass, concentrating on the chakra.

Smelling was very vague and long range, but in this case it was helpful. I recognized Cerelia's signature up ahead, the only person I could recognize right now from signature alone. So that solved direction, because I knew she would be home awaiting dinner. With several more sniffs, I noted the several large collections of dead chakra which could only be buildings. Combined with my ears actively looking, I pinpointed them.

Finally, I stepped onto the road and walked forward, nearly losing my concentration with having to avoid more than one person. At one point I nearly got turned around and had to smell again for home base. People were more vocal now, I heard several rude complaints when I only managed to register them and move just before a collision.

Then, I actually did stumble into someone. In my defense, there had been at least four other people in the same area, and this fifth person was masked under the others. Instead of passing by in what I thought to have been a safe opening, I smacked into the shoulder of a person. I almost fell back, but two hands steadied me and I looked up to see a classmate.

Shikamaru was not someone I knew well, or someone I payed particular attention to. It wasn't uncommon to encounter classmates around town either, and especially on this section of road because there were many food stands and a supermarket on the roadside. True to my assumption, Shikamaru carried a shopping bag in one hand.

I smiled guiltily and apologized. He shrugged.

"Not that I really care, but why did you have your eyes closed?" I took another glance at him, he wasn't one to ask questions really. There was, however, a spark of curiosity in there. I have no doubt he was capable of avoiding me, he probably didn't move just to see if I really had my eyes closed. There didn't seem to be any reason for lying, so I told the truth.

"I was practicing being able to tell where people are. Obviously, it isn't perfect yet, but your the first person I bumped into so it isn't completely bad. Again, sorry about that."

He nodded, as with most things he didn't seem to be bothered about the encounter. "Chakra sense?" He guessed. On one hand I wondered why he even bothered to ask, but on the other I realized again that it did look rather weird to see ones classmate wandering through town with their eyes closed, bumping into people. Even a laid back child could get curious.

"Yep," I agreed, "I can sort of hear where people are, but its harder when there's a group, which was why I didn't hear you. It's hard, especially avoiding inanimate things, and walking in a straight line. My home is only a block or so from here, but I can't hear that far so I have to track it with smell..."

I trailed off, not sure if he would understand the connections to physical sensing. After all, it didn't work the same way for Cerelia and if I really did have that disorder I read about, then most likely it didn't work the same way for most people.

Shikamaru looked slightly more curious, but didn't question it. Instead, he simply replied "Hmm, I don't smell or hear chakra. Sounds troublesome though."

He shifted the groceries in his hand and made to leave. I got the feeling that he wasn't the most social kid, even if he wasn't exactly a loner. I smiled despite the abrupt ending.

"See you tomorrow." I said casually, getting a halfhearted wave in response. Maybe back home it would be considered rude, but most people here had vastly different definitions on social guidelines. I closed my eyes again, and, as thoroughly as I could, I listened. There was one person walking away from me at an unhurried pace. That was Shikamaru. There was someone else up ahead somewhat, walking away.

In curiosity, I zeroed in on Shikamaru's chakra. I hadn't really tried to get a good look at other people's chakra, save for Cerelia. Usually when I was with others, it wasn't a good time to just close my eyes and concentrate.

With my ears and nose opened to their maximum intake, well, his chakra still didn't feel any different than a normal academy student. It was quiet, with a steady but jagged sound to it. After a few moments, I could smell a soft yet dark tint to the normal fiery smell. It wasn't dark as in evil, but I couldn't explain it in any other words. It just brought to mind dark colours, and had a soft edge to it. It was like the chakra was as laid back as the person, ready to expand its skills yet being comfortable in its current state.

I shook my head from the confusion. Was that what chakra signatures felt like? Maybe I should try harder to listen for them. I filed that thought in the back of my head for the moment, and turned my attentions in front of me. There was only a short walking distance until I reached my goal of the apartment building. All in all, not a worthless venture.

The next few days were spent in a slight amount of nervousness. The spars weren't about to stop, but that didn't mean I was ready to actually face Cerelia. I went up against Yuki and Rika already, and I even managed to beat both of them, but for Rika it was nearly a tie. She probably could have turned the tides on me, she was faster and just as strong, but she was too gullible and fell for my feints every time.

Unfortunately, I knew directly from the teacher that tomorrow I would be fighting my sister. It was nice of him, really, to let me prepare for actually striking at her. However, it did little to calm my worries, beyond the little reprieve I was granted by knowing it wouldn't be today at least.

Instead, today I sparred Shikamaru and was summarily beaten. He usually emitted as little resistance as required, putting up a fight but relenting in the end, but I noticed he tried a little harder with me. That, or everything seemed more intense just because I was in the actual spar. I suspected that he realized failure against the new person could result in a big mark deduction, and if he wasn't putting a lot of effort into his school work, that could cost him his barely passing grade.

Regardless, it was refreshing to be truly beaten in a fight, because I could really review my mistakes. Which was why, as I walked out the door, legs automatically making their way down the hall, I was not paying the slightest attention. When Shikamaru did a sweep with his left foot, I should have jumped back instead of straight up, that way he wouldn't have been able to hook my ankle so easily when I landed. And then, when he pushed into me, I shouldn't have pushed back, it was obviously a trick to get my momentum going in that direction so that he could step aside and force me downwards...

A quiet whoosh was my only warning, but it was enough. At the last moment I heard the chakra of a person above me, and I threw myself to the side. The crunch of a body on gravel was heard, as well as a loud "Ooomph" of air being forced out of a person unwillingly. I turned to my assailant in annoyance. It was Naruto.

"What was that, Aurora?" He complained. "You didn't even look up! How did you know I was up there?" I glanced up, only noticing now that I was on the tree-lined path that led to my training spot. Naruto must have been in one of the trees.

"Well", I started, " I can kind of... hear chakra in a way, so I can hear where people are. I wasn't really paying attention, but then I noticed there was someone above me, which doesn't happen, so I jumped away."

He tilted his head. "How do you hear chakra? That's weird, but it sounds cool. What does my chakra sound like?" I paused to listen, my eyes snapping closed to block out distractions.

"Hmm, I can't really describe it." I answered truthfully, but kept sensing with both my smell and hearing. As with studying Shikamaru's chakra, I could tell a few minute details after enough time.

"Most chakra has a pattern to the sound, and they're all basically the same. Civilians tend to have irregular beats, but almost no difference in pitch, while ninja have a better pattern, but larger spikes. Other academy students have a kind of wild spiking though, so its like we are a bit of both. Yours in particular.. well I'm not very good at telling the difference between people, but yours has a kind of weird swing to it.." I almost added, like there was a second pattern tied to it but I didn't. It occurred to me that it just might be the Kyuubi that added the extra swing, but that might not be the case. I really needed to listen to chakra more.

"Oh, and you have kind of more big spikes to your pattern. I can smell chakra a little too, and yours smells blunt and wild, but fresh too."

He wrinkled his nose at the description. "How can something smell blunt? Or wild for that matter? You make no sense."

"I told you I couldn't really describe it." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled.

"Ah well! But you know what this means... if you can tell when people are around without even looking, and then move away that quickly, then you can definitely help me out on my latest prank!" I was about to interrupt him with my usual denial, but he cut me off.

"Don't tell me you can't keep up! You moved really fast out of the way, I know you can run fast enough for this. You saaaiiid you wanted to try one out when you got good enough! Plus, you can even spar your way out of trouble! You even beat two other kids in class, and you've only been here half a year!"

I frowned, tomorrows upcoming spar with Cerelia in the front of my mind. Iruka would be expecting me to go full out like I did against my classmates.

" I don't know. It's not going to go so well tomorrow." I voiced my concerns tentatively. Naruto had been nothing but a good friend since I met him, even though I was almost always busy between school, training, studying, and sleeping. Still, I wasn't totally comfortable with matters above small talk. I still hadn't told anyone about my concerns with Cerelia. Depending on his reaction, I would be willing to divulge a bit, but I still wasn't at the point where I could share the fear of being hit like that time months ago.

"But why? You lost against Shikamaru, but it isn't like he completely wiped the floor with you. Plus, the teacher will probably put you against someone weaker. It's not like you'll have to fight me! If that were the case, I could see why you'd be scared!"

I laughed at his proud smile, motioning for him to walk with me. It didn't feel right to talk about my worries in the middle of the road.

"I'm not scared, really. But tomorrow I'm going up against my sister." Naruto gave me a strange look.

"Why would you be scared of that? She seems even weaker than you, and you sparred her all the time before joining the rest of us." I sighed, kicking an errant pebble.

"I know, but I never really tried before. I just can't picture myself actively trying to punch my sister. I always just blocked and didn't put force behind anything. Only now, Iruka-sensei tells me my marks will go down a lot if I don't actually try."

"Oh. That's it? But she's really mean, I don't like her. It'll be easy to knock her down, just picture the last crappy thing she said." He explained. I could only shrug.

"It isn't that easy. I just can't raise my hand against her. When I try, I just feel like she'll get mad at me..." I trailed off. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to talk about this after all.

"Eeehh, so what? I guess you don't really have to, unless you're going to fail if you don't". I cringed.

"That's what I'm worried about. My marks aren't very good since I had to catch up so quick. I'm worried about failing if I don't try to beat her."

"Well, then that solved it, right? Just go full out, don't let your sister stop you from graduating. And you wanna pass, right? Otherwise you'll be a year behind and I'll have to bug you for being late!" I shrugged, about to say that I really didn't need to pass, because the chances of that was so small, but I realized something.

The fact that I was so worried about my grade was a reminder that I really did want to pass. It wasn't the same as when I started. Back then I was just concerned with trying my best, getting the most from it and knowing that actively attempted to make a difference. But recently, I've come across evidence that becoming a ninja is an all too real possibility. The idea of failing distressed me much more, and I noticed the grain of sense to Naruto's words.

Did I really want to let my fear of Cerelia affect my chances of graduation?

"I-I guess I see what you mean", I mumbled. "I don't really want to fail just because I was too afraid to fight her."

He smiled brightly. "Yeah! Because then you'd have to be in a whole new class and everything, and you'd be two whole years older than them, because you're already a year older than me. Think of the embarrassment!"

I giggled. There was truth to that too. By this point, I knew I'd try and take the course again rather than give up. If anything, the spars so far increased my resolve even more. Like it or not, Cerelia would have to face me at my fullest.

"Okay, so anyways, you just have to help me set up a trick I'm planning on this fish vendor, he was being a real dirt bag the other day, and this idea I had needs two people..."

I took a glance to the left, I knew my training spot lay not far out of sight. I looked back to Naruto, he was giving me an expectant stare, full of untold mischief. After a second, I nodded. Training could come later.

An hour later, one very irritated vendor was tearing through the streets with clothes doused by a bucket of white paint, light downy feathers scattered and stuck to the sticky material. In addition to chasing a spiky blonde child, there MAY have been a second child with long black hair and freckles, running and laughing with equal fervor. I didn't know anything about that of course, nothing at all.

* * *

Not quite one day later, my resolve had wavered but not broken. Everyone else was just as calm as normal. It was just another fight for them, after all. They weren't concerned about hurting an opponent, they weren't to aim for lethal hits, and the teacher was more than capable if intervening if someone was actually about to cause real damage. Plus, even if a bone was broken, there were medic nin on call for just that sort of training accident. They could be here withing a minute of being called.

I faced opposite Cerelia, heart racing. Of course she was calm, not even pausing to stretch. Of course, sensei told me that she never held back, and she must think that I never held back either. Why would she be worried? I still hadn't been able to tell her about that, and I cursed myself for not bringing it up. Assuming she beats me, there was still no way she wouldn't notice. I had no idea what her response would be upon this discovery. I didn't even want to know what her response would be if I beat her.

Nevertheless, I purposefully moved to take my weights off. Taking them off did concern me, after all, what point was there to using them if I always took them off? Unfortunately, I now knew that these spars were very important to my grade, and with me being so far behind it would be stupid to handicap myself for something I was being evaluated in. It would be better if I could get a sparring partner to practice outside of school. Maybe Naruto, he's a lot better than me but no worlds away anymore.

"Wait, what are those, Aura? I've never seen them before." Cerelia loudly commented. I tried to shrug it off casually.

"They're training weights, Cerelia. I've been using them for months."

"Well, you never took them off before." I paused at her veiled accusation.

"When we fought before, it wasn't for marks, but now that I'm being graded, I decided to take them off."

"Oh well, I guess it won't make much of a difference. If you're wearing them all day, they're probably super light. Otherwise I'd have noticed."

I decided not to tell her their total weight. No need to add tension to the atmosphere when it was already boiling inside of me. I took a glance at the teacher as the previous three pairs finished their spar. We were next. Iruka sensei met my eyes for a second and nodded encouragingly. He at least knew from my reaction before that this would be hard.

"Okay, go."

Cerelia rushed at me like she usually did, reaching over to to grab at my leg. I sidestepped to dodge, and she whipped out her own leg in a sideways kick. I blocked it on my own, nearly being bowled over without pressing back. Then, I squared my shoulders. This was a controlled fight, and Cerelia should be considered like any other adversary. I grit my teeth, blocking out the image of her face, not thinking about it being angry or accusing. I pushed back with such force that she was let off balance.

Without allowing myself time to think, I pushed my weight into her side, hooking an ankle. She gasped, and jumped back, stumbling. I may heave heard an enraged shout as she came at me again with a fist to the gut. I hadn't before realized how predictable and slow it was. I deflected it, and curled my arm against hers, pulling it back and exposing her side for my other fist, which slammed into her soft lower torso twice rapidly, just to wind. As her arm was trapped inside my own, she struggled but could not get a good angle to remove the hold.

I modified my grip, and in a Taijutsu move I'd been perfecting, slung her across my shoulders and onto her back with a thud. She scrambled to get up but I pounced on her knees, forcing my forearm and upper body weight across her chest. She tried to push up against my weight, but that just pinned her further. I distantly realized that my hold wasn't the best, that if she shoved to the side instead of straight up with enough strength, I could be pushed off. As it was, she didn't, and I counted the necessary five seconds.

Only as I felt her struggles cease did I bare to look up at her face. She was red, whether from exertion, rage, embarrassment, or a combination of both, I did not know. She stared me down as I slowly removed myself. As soon as my limbs were off hers, Cerelia lunged. It took me completely by surprise, after all, I had won the match. As a result, I was immediately pinned as she reversed our position, her nails digging painfully into my tender arms.

I took another glance at her face "What-" I started. She definitely looked mad now, in more than one sense of the word.

"How... how could you? No, that wasn't a real win, Aurora. You can't really beat me, no... In fact, this is proof you need to be much better! A ninja needs to be ready for surprises! Her golden caramel eyes were widened with disbelief and anger, I could do nothing but stare up at her in fear.

"C-cere", I began to plead. I didn't need to, however, as she was roughly shoved off me by none other than Naruto. My friend. It was almost alien to imagine anyone really defending me, but there he was.

"Hey! That was a fair match, and Aurora totally beat you, you stupid cheater! You're just mad because you stink! Stop bullying your sister, she's my friend!"

My eyes widened in shock. He turned to me, his demeanor still angry, but a smile on his face. "Right, Aurora?"

I stopped myself from looking at Cerelia. Her rage now could probably stop me from admitting anything. And while I knew there would be repercussions, I shakily smiled.

"Yeah!" I quietly, but firmly agreed. Cerelia let out a noise similar to that of a drowning feline. I dared to meet her eyes, and they were filled with such indignation that I flinched back. Seeing my fearfulness, Naruto came up closer. "I said, stop bullying my friend. If you don't stop, I'll beat you up!" He growled.

I was incredibly comforted by the fact that someone would stand up to Cerelia. Before, I would fret and worry about her feelings, or how she was right. Now, though? I knew there wasn't truth to everything she said, and I knew it was wrong of her to get mad at me just for beating her. That didn't make it less scary, it was Naruto's defense that gave me courage. I still didn't want a fight to break out however, so I tried to calm him down.

As I reached for his raised arm to try and mediate, the situation was broken again, this time by sensei.

"What is wrong here? This exercise is for controlled spars, it is not a brawl zone! Naruto,calm down, or I'll have to give you detention. And Cerelia! I expected better from you, that was a clearly won match. I think we need to have a discussion about being a sore loser. That was disgraceful, and to your own sister! You need to apologize, right now."

Cerelia gave him an outraged look, but clearly he had seen it all and, and pointedly glared back, motioning in my direction. She gave a huff of annoyance, not finding room to budge.

"I'm... sorry, Aurora.", She said grudgingly, before turning her head in contempt.

Iruka sighed. "That will have to do for now. I still want to have a word with you after class. Now, is everyone calm? Naruto?" Naruto nodded almost as sullenly as Cerelia.

"Good. Next group is up!" Iruka-sensei announced, turning to the other students as they hurriedly ceased their blatant staring. Knowing that everyone had seen that little outburst made me more than a little nervous. Most seemed to watch with passive interest. Sasuke in particular gave me an unreadable look. I couldn't tell if I was being mocked, pitied, or understood. Knowing him so far, I decided to go with being mocked.

As I pulled my weights back on I tried to gauge Cerelia's expression again. It looked a little more resigned, but still very grumpy. I was a little afraid of going home, and I didn't know how long this particular mood would last.

If I was honest, I did not regret it. It felt so liberating to finally show my true ambitions to Cerelia. Sure, I was scared, but it was a controlled environment. Maybe I really only took her by surprise, and she really was better than me. That didn't matter as much as the knowledge that it was possible to beat Cerelia in something. More than that, it was possible for me to beat her at something.

The truth in that thought gave me so much joy that my worries faded into the background. With no care as to who was around me, my face cracked into a giant grin. In yet another small way, I was free.

* * *

A/N- yeah, it took longer this time. I was on a roll before, and I was even considering making a consistent schedule, but then my grandma died and that kind of went out the window along with most of my creativity for a few weeks. Don't really need pity, just letting you all know that I did mean to update sooner, buuut life. I actually sat on the first 6 pages for a long time because I had come across the rare moment of not knowing what I was doing. For a while I had no idea what the purpose of this chapter was, nor of the next few chapters I had vague ideas about. I came to a startling conclusion an quickly changed my plans for the next few chapters. I wont spoil, you will see when I get to it...


	12. Reversal I

In a way, I'm not sure Cerelia ever got over it. After a few days of silent brooding and angry looks, she did give me a more sincere apology. But she was different. It was like a wall had suddenly been pushed between us.

Well, I couldn't say "suddenly". More like a wall had slowly started weaving between us since our arrival in Konoha, and only now was attention brought to it. She ignored me unless she had something overly important to say, and I just tried not to speak to her much. I supposed that I shouldn't have been surprised.

What did happen to throw me for a loop was Cerelia suddenly acting like nothing had happened. We had just eaten, I was washing our dishes, idly wondering if it was worth asking her to help out with the house chores. That was when she approached me.

"So Aura, I see you've been pretty hard working.", she suddenly chirped. I didn't know where she was going with this, so I spared her a glance and looked back down to the dishes with a noncommittal shrug.

"Oh, come on. I'm trying to make conversation here! What is your problem?" Ah, there was the annoyed tone I've grown accustomed too. I spared her another look, raising my eyebrow. Ever since the sparring incident I have started to reconsider how much I was going to put up with Cerelia's crap. This was the first time I've really been given the chance to exercise my new opinions.

"Nothing you don't already know about, Cerelia" I replied. Honestly, I didn't want to cause a fight, I just wanted to let her know that I wasn't backing down without a good reason. In response, Cerelia moaned in frustration. "We're _still _on that? I said I was sorry, what more do you want? That was nearly a month ago!" Cerelia sounded like she wanted to add to that, but evidently what she meant to ask about was more important.

"(You know what, that doesn't matter right now. For some strange reason that eludes me, none of the real characters seem to like me. I'm not stupid, I know that you're not only friends with Naruto, you also know Lee and Neji and Tenten". For a moment I was surprised. Did she remember them from the first day in this world? We only ever met the team at the entrance when we first got here, so how would she even know their names? They must have been one of the few seemingly random people that Cerelia labeled "canon". That term had long since lost its meaning to me, as there were only ever three characters that I knew from the days when all of this was just some story.

"Any who... they aren't as important as team seven, but I realized that maybe I could work my way up. Naruto thinks I'm some kind of bully, but if I befriend those guys, he'll see things the right way. Then, I just need to stick to Naruto so that I end up in team 7, and then I can work with Sasuke better! Its way more complicated to get to his heart than I thought it would be, but this time I have a foolproof plan. Basically, I need you to introduce me to Neji, Tenten, and Lee."

I balked. She wanted to meet my friends and their team mate Neji (who was more of an acquaintance)? Not only that, but the only reason she wanted to meet them was to use them in order to reach someone else? I don't know if she even could befriend them based on her success with Naruto, but I didn't want to find out. I especially didn't want to suffer the backlash if they did get to know her only to be dumped when their usefulness ended.

"Cerelia, I don't think you should use people like that. If you want to make friends with them, I won't stop you, but I'm not going to be a part in it." My voice wavered slightly, but I held firm. She was not going to ruin one of my few friendships.

"W-what! Why the heck won't you help? There's nothing wrong with it, I'm doing it for a greater purpose!" Cerelia exclaimed. I couldn't help but frown.

"What greater purpose? You only want to raise your own standing!"

"It's not like that! I just need things to go this way, the way things are meant to be. I bond with Naruto and Sasuke, and I'm the only one Sasuke can talk to because of our similarities. We three become the strongest Genin team, so we can all be promoted to Chunin after the exams. When that happens, I can convince Sasuke of my love for him, and the power he can get from Konoha instead of Orochimaru. With Sasuke and me on Konoha's side, we'll prevent any other bad stuff from happening!"

I gaped. What was wrong with Cerelia? She was nuts. "You're insane! How can you think everything will go exactly as you plan?"

"Because my plans are perfect, I wrote it all out and everything. As long as I keep saying what I'm supposed to, they'll have to reply as they're supposed to."

"That's delusional! You can't know exactly how people will react to something as specific as that, especially when you don't even know them! Did you write out your hard-to-get plan like this? Because it sure didn't work out" I bit back. This was starting to really frustrate me. How had I never noticed her arrogance?

"Don't you _dare _call me delusional! That was a minor setback! I revised everything over again, and it's fixed. My fanfiction is going to become reality and there is _nothing _you can do about it!" She screamed, as riled up as I was by now.

"Your fanfiction? Let me get this straight. Everything is going to go your way because of a _fanfiction_? It is called _fan _fiction for a reason!" I was beside myself. How in the world could anyone possibly think that this was logical?

"Don't you disrespect me! Say one more word, and I'll..." She trailed off with her threat, hands clenching.

"Or what? Are you going to hit me again?" I whispered, ice in my voice. I watched her like a hawk, deadly serious. It was time to not be afraid any longer. That meant calling her out on her threats.

"I-I..." Cerelia stuttered, "No, I'm not." For the first time ever, I thought I saw fear in her eyes. She... was fearful of me? That didn't seem right. I didn't want to make my sister afraid of me. I just wanted some respect. All at once, it seemed like Cerelia's fight left her. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I'm... sorry for snapping. Look, I just really need to get to know more people if I want anything to work out. I'll do anything you ask. Could you please just introduce me?" It was another new, Cerelia pleading at me. I wasn't sure I was comfortable with that either.

"I'm not going to do it. I won't expose my friends to someone who is just going to push them aside." I stated again, hoping to end things. Instead, tears began to well up in my sister's eyes. She hadn't cried in a long time.

"Please, everything is all convoluted now. I can't safely do this without your help because they might get the wrong impression. Even though it's because I want to befriend Naruto more, I promise I won't abandon them if we hit it off. I'm sure Tenten, Neji, and Lee will only like me somewhat anyways. You only have to give me a chance with them."

I shook my head firmly, about to refuse again when I was interrupted. "No, please! Give me a chance at this, Aurora! I promise I'll do absolutely anything at all!"

It wasn't enough, not really. If I had any shred of sense, I wouldn't ever agree to it. But then, her repeated claim of "anything" echoed traitorously through my mind.

"What do you mean by anything?" I grudgingly inquired. Her eyes lit up like a light bulb. "I mean exactly that, truly! Well, anything except quit the academy, or do anything that could cause me to be kicked out."

I considered it. There was one thing I had been sorely wishing to find out after all my research on chakra control and sensing. There was only so much that text could give you.

"Your kekkei genkai" I began slowly. Cerelia's eyes widened in confusion. "There's something about it that I was really curious about. Maybe if you let me study it..."

"You have a deal! Anytime you want, whatever you want!" She agreed frantically. I frowned.

"And you have to promise to pull your weight around the apartment. No more making me do all the house work, we'll split it halfway." I added. She grimaced, as if she was about to make one of her usual "but I'm a ninja, I'm important" comments, but instead she gulped it down.

"Y-yeah, sure. I'll do it. I'll start working right now!" She fumbled for the cloth I had abandoned at the sink and reached for the dishes. Immediately, she began scrubbing a plate furiously, dipping it into the soapy water.

"Cerelia?"

"Yes? Look, I'm doing chores, just like you asked!"

"That's the clean dish pile." She paused as she was about to take another already cleaned dish. She chuckled nervously and glanced at the dirty pile to her left, immediately flinching back at the grime. She looked to me with a bewildered, disgusted face. I raised my eyebrows pointedly, stopping the protest on her lips. She glumly nodded rather than say anything else, turning back to her work. Mutely, I turned around and stepped away, intent on clearing my mind with some control training. I didn't even want to know the implications of this recent shift in our sibling relationship.

* * *

_Just think about why this is happening._

_Think about why you agreed to do this._

_It's going to be worth it, somehow._

Who was I kidding? This was complete torture. The reason for me agreeing to introduce my sister was slipping through my fingers. No one had even started talking yet. At the very least, it was just Tenten for now. From what I gathered by the location of chakra signatures, Lee was still training and Neji was at the Hyuuga compound (well, I actually couldn't really sense his at all, because I was less familiar with him. It was just the most likely location).

Immediately upon seeing me, Tenten grinned and waved. "Kita, what's up?" I winced, having forgotten about that particular nickname. I never thought about other people hearing it, especially my sister who was somewhat obsessed with that sort of thing. Anime was the main thing, but she also got very into Japanese culture. I was actually fairly surprised when she _didn't _give herself a Japanese name upon coming here. Probably to avoid any lies in front of the Hokage.

Despite my concern however, I couldn't just ignore Tenten now. I nodded and waved in greeting. Cerelia tensed up beside me in surprise. "Kita?" She asked in bewilderment. For the moment, I ignored her inquiry.

"I'm not doing anything in particular, but I do have a request." Tenten bobbed her head, shifting the groceries she carried to the other hand and glancing at Cerelia questioningly.

"Is that your sister? I think I remember seeing weird hair like that the first time I met you... but I could be wrong." Tenten asked hesitantly.

"Hey, don't call my hair weird! Its way more interesting th-" I cut off my sister with a nudge and glare, speaking up in her stead. "Yeah, this is my twin sister. She's in the academy like me. She doesn't know many people yet, and said she wanted to meet the people I hang out with." I explained. Cerelia looked like she wanted to object, but wisely held her tongue.

"Uh..." Tenten looked from me to Cerelia, "Suuure, Kita. No problem. My name is Tenten", with that Tenten held out her hand, glancing Cerelia fully. Immediately, my sister forgot whatever comments she had, and clasped Tenten's hand energetically.

"Yeah, it's great to meet you! I'm Cerelia Aukess! Oh, also, you do know that my sister is _actually _called Aurora, right?" Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Of course I know that. Kita is just an easier nickname my sensei came up with. Aurora is a very foreign name, and it's hard to pronounce."

"Oh", Cerelia replied. "Why didn't you tell me you had a cool new name now?" She looked at me with annoyance. "I could use a new name too."

"Well, it never came up and only a few people call me that. The rest just deal with having to pronounce a strange name." I reasoned.

"I don't think that makes much sense. Why did you pick Kita, anyways?" Cerelia asked in genuine curiosity.

"Aurora told us that her name means something that happens only in the North, where a bunch of colors show up in the sky. Kita means north, so we went with that."

"Wow, that is just fascinating! You know, I've always wondered what _my _name would be if I came from around here..." I took that as my cue to leave. I really did not want to be here, because there wasn't really a good way this could go down. Either she'd steal my friend from me or would be rejected. Both could be potentially devastating- for me. I didn't need any more fighting between us.

Besides, I needed to remind myself why I agreed to do this in the first place. I went to my regular training place. By now, it was well worn and familiar. After developing my ability to smell chakra further, I had finally confirmed what I had always assumed- no one ever went here unless they knew me and were looking for me. Save for Tenten that one time, which didn't count anyways. I had later found out that Tenten hadn't really just "noticed" me having trouble. She mentioned my progress being impressive for someone beginning at civilian levels to her team, and Neji made an insulting comment that offended Tenten- who came from a civilian background. Following and then helping my aim had been a giant "I told you so" to Neji, not that I minded the help even if the motivation was confusing.

I settled into a comfortable cross-legged position. There had only been a little time for me to observe Cerelia's kekkei genkai before we left, but it was enough for now. The main reason for my wish to study this kekkei genkai was that there may be a chance to replicate it. Not exactly in the same form, but maybe in a limited way.

I'd taken some time to observe just why I could sense dead or inanimate things that didn't even contain chakra. Originally, I had shrugged it off- it was probably just leftover bits of chakra, anyways. But then, I got curious when I realized that Cerelia's ability might be connected to the "dead chakra". After all, she expends a lot of chakra for her ability, but there was no reasonable explanation in any books I'd read on the subject. There was some half-baked theory about chakra surrounding the particles and lifting them like a scoop, but that only accounted for some elemental jutsus. It didn't explain the fluidity, or the unconscious awareness Cerelia had when she used her power. It was as if, for that brief moment, the element she moved was a part of her.

It took a long time, but I eventually thought to connect it to the "dead chakra". I couldn't find much reference to the stuff, mostly because the average ninja could not sense it, and it didn't seem to serve a purpose. But what if someone could mix their live chakra in with the dead stuff? What if that mixing was how people like Cerelia used their gift? If I was right, then maybe there was a way that someone like me could do it too. I read from multiple sources that most kekkei genkai's were more like shortcuts than unique powers- whatever they accomplished could usually be replicated in some way with a lot of training and work.

Well, I had accomplished plenty of things so far with a lot of training and work, and therefore this was no different. Immediately I scraped my fingernails at the dirt before me, loosening a small chunk, about the diameter of a nickel. Carefully, I cupped it in my hands. It was a good thing that I had learned about emitting a steady stream of chakra from the hands- I was easily able to surround the clump of dirt in my palm in an invisible veil of energy.

The voice of the dirt clump came easier to me this time; all that practice must have paid off. It was the same extremely quiet, low hum- perfectly uniform, with no beat or variation of pitch. No living chakra had ever sounded like that, as far as I knew. There was also my own chakra ringing in my ears. It sounded louder than normal, since I was tuning in to something much quieter.

Next was to figure out exactly how I was going to accomplish this. When Cerelia moved the dirt, her chakra _changed _somehow, I was sure of that. It was hard to describe. Not only did the energy slow to a whine that matched the frequency of the dirt, it seemed to vibrate in another way I couldn't yet recognize. Then, in the span of a second, it seemed to move inside the dirt, changing back to Cerelia's normal pattern.

I supposed that the first logical step for me was the only step I managed to catch in my little time spent studying. I needed to get my chakra to match the dirt somehow. I pressed my chakra against the tiny clump, as if it would somehow help.

First of all, I had no idea how people could change their chakra pattern at all. As far as I'd experienced, everyone had a slightly different one. The basic sequence that repeated itself was always unique to a person, and same with the individual scent that accompanied it. Over time, the strength changed with training, the pitch with age, and the smoothness or speed of the sound with control. I knew this from observing ninjas of different ages and strength. The pitch, or frequency, seemed to become highest in the late teenage years, then slowly deepened with age. Jonin and stronger chunin had notably louder sounds to their chakra, with a greater variation in pitch. Some of the medic-nin I had listened to had such a smooth sound, that I could swear I was listening to snippets of music rather than chakra.

I focused on my own pattern, analyzing every sound. It was fairly high, and somewhat long. Due to my inexperience, the notes were jarring, with broken pauses sometimes separating them. With pride, I recognized that it was at least a good deal smoother than it used to be. The strength was nearly on par with the rest of the academy students, another thing to be happy about. The problem right now was that it sounded nothing at all like my dirt clump.

I turned my attention away from the core of my chakra and instead to the chakra around the dirt. Blindly, I willed it to change, for its crests and troughs to spread apart and flatten out, for its frequency to slow, for its amplitude to shrink.

After a few minutes of nothing, I had to admit that just wishing for it to work wouldn't do a whole lot. That still left the question of how. There had to be some way to change it!

Frustrated, I shifted the chakra back and forth across my hand, swirling it around the dirt. I obviously didn't have enough chakra to make it visible, but I knew what it was doing. How could you make something so alive, something that didn't even really have a set physical state, sound different? It was mind boggling that it even had a sound at all.

I paused for what seemed to be forever, just sitting and thinking. It probably looked like meditation to a bystander, but my mind whirled with ideas, most of them useless and blank. Eventually, I came across a good idea. What if chakra produced noise in the same way as a voice? That would mean that changing the shape of the chakra would change the sound it made. Except, it would have to be much more complicated than that, in order to account for the intricate patterns of chakra. It couldn't simply be the general shape of the mass I was using... Perhaps I must change the shape of smaller units inside of chakra?

Some smaller block that made up chakra as a whole made sense, like how cells made up a body. I really wished that this world was better at sharing information. The library was great, but when it came to the complicated details of what made up chakra and jutsu, there was nothing. I couldn't even Google it. Still, the idea was good. I put my mind to finding the smaller units that just had to exist. The real question was whether or not they could even be sensed.

In vain, I tightened my focus. My brain pounded from the exertion. If only I could find these units, these chakra cells. My ears became a microscope, magnifying the exact pattern and scrutinizing it. There was nothing.

Where were they? Chakra cells _had _to exist on some level! I needed to know, how does Cerelia's technique work? How do you just merge your chakra with another object and move it like that? How do you get your pattern to match something else? How exactly was chakra organized? The key to all these questions lied in one concept: The chakra cell. If only I could find out exactly how big they were, how to identify them, and how to change them and thereby change their pattern.

Instead of the answer coming to me like some kind of profound epiphany, my head began to hurt even more, and all I could concentrate on was the question. I squeezed my eyes shut as a painful tingling spread over my hands. The tingling turned to the pain of pins and needles, and I closed a fist over the dirt clump.

It was strange, as if the information was literally at the tips of my fingers. It seemed right to strain for it, as if strengthening this panicked feeling, where my hand stung and my head was being tightly compressed, would accomplish something. Then, a tiny pebble loosened from the dirt by my tightened fist, fell and quietly clacked against a stone embedded in the ground. As suddenly as the feeling had appeared, it left again. I sighed. How stupid was I? My mind had been so excited at the thought that I might be on to something, the fact that it went no where was even more depressing.

Instead of following more confusing instincts, I spread my mind for other ideas. It had to be at least an hour later of listening to chakra and molding it about, when I had another good idea. This energy form, it was like its own matter of course, but it was also like sound. It felt obvious, since the majority of my sensing was by hearing. Sound was merely vibrations through the air. I came to a startling conclusion: Could change the shape of the cells by sending vibrations at them?

Could I make these sounds with my voice? I felt my throat gently, humming a low note. I was always proud of my voice, the only skill I ever had against Cerelia. But I never sang in public, being too self-conscious. At least no one was around right now.

Hesitantly, I analyzed my pattern again, almost knowing it by heart. Luckily, it was slow and jagged enough for me to follow. Of course, the sounds couldn't be perfectly replicated by my voice. It was an entirely different matter, and followed rules of its own. If I could just get the rhythm right, however...

I set to work, slowly adding notes as I hummed quietly, trying to get the pattern just right in my voice. I concentrated chakra in my throat, in the hope that, if I managed to synchronize my voice with my own chakra pattern, I would feel _something_.

As it turned out, I did feel something. My voice wasn't perfect, but eventually I began to match the two very different mediums. It felt as if something had clicked inside of me, and the chakra latched on to my voice, projecting itself with the sound waves. With a jolt, I realized that it was working! I was, in some way, singing my own pattern. Carefully repeating the pattern, I calculated my next step. All of the chakra, especially the concentration in my throat, seemed to react to the synchronized voice. It felt loose and flexible, like a freshly stirred can of paint. I bet, if I slowly changed my voice pattern, some of the chakra would change with it. Perhaps then, I could match it with the dirt and really begin merging. Even though at least a few hours had already been spent today, I was only brushing on one step of many to even have a chance of controlling that dirt.

I brought my hand, holding the broken dirt clump and my surrounding chakra, closer in order to sing with it. The feeling was even stronger with the chakra outside of my body. I changed the first piece of the pattern, lowering a high note...

"Kita, how are you?" A loud voice tore me from my concentration, and the quiet singing ground to a halt. I looked up, silently noticing how strained my eyes had gotten. It was Gai-sensei and Lee standing before me. I never thought that they, of all ninja, would sneak up on me. Not that they couldn't, but neither of them ever tried.

"Woah, what were you doing? You look as if you've been concentrating on something for a while!" Lee questioned, glancing between me and my hand. I shrugged and dumped my dirt. After standing and brushing myself off, I explained, "Not a whole lot. I'm trying to figure something out, but I'm not really sure if it'll work or not. Could turn out to be something good, though."

"Trying to discover new things that seem impossible! You truly are a youthful student, Kita.I'm so proud!" Gai-sensei boomed. He often complimented anything with a hint of "youthfulness", but it still made me grin.

"I noticed that neither of you were in the village. Were you teaching Lee somewhere outside? Of course, I could have missed you; I'm not too good at sensing stuff yet..." I excused myself, secretly being certain that they had been nowhere in the village, at least before I started with the dirt. I knew their patterns by now.

"Yeah, we were! I was learning this really intense technique, but I'm not allowed to use i-"

"Yes, its powerful and dangerous, but also top secret. And even as youthful as you are, Kita, it should not be shared!" Gai interrupted his pupil, whose face turned remorseful.

"Oh no, I've already almost broken a rule! I'm so sorry sensei. Aah, Kita, I'm sorry too! I wish you could learn the technique with me, but it's far too dangerous." Lee apologized. I only shrugged with indifference.

"That's fine. I have my hands full trying to learn skills anyways. What brings you two here?" It felt nice, how familiar I could get with them. Like right now, they would sometimes come to see me, and not just the reverse. It was hard to imagine.

"We were just going to check in on your progress- you did just upgrade your weights a week ago. _But_", and here Gai-sensei paused for a moment, "Just before our team was assigned an afternoon mission, the Hokage stopped us."

Huh, I hadn't thought I was here that long. Tenten must have gotten away from Cerelia then. Luckily for me, Cerelia did not know my training location and probably couldn't sense me from over here. She did seem to be somewhat sensitive to chakra, but I knew that her perception wasn't connected to the sensory organs like mine was. I was safe for the moment, and could put off having to deal with whatever mood she was in.

Then, I tilted my head slightly. "No offense, but shouldn't you be on your mission, or be doing whatever the Hokage asked you to do, if that's the case?"

Gai-sensei's face then became serious. Immediately, I became nervous, knowing that whatever came could not be good news.

"That's the second reason we came. The Hokage wants to see you and your sister right now. He asked me to bring you since we already know you." My spine tingled with unmistakable fear. This was something new. What could be so serious that I had to see the Hokage in person?

I was completely screwed.

* * *

A/N- phew, that took a long time. The last time I updated was in April! School got in to the way, that's all I have to say. I also got my wisdom teeth removed. Also, as alluded to in the chapter title, this is part one of a longer segment that was originally one chapter, but I ended up splitting. The next part is nearing completion and should be out soon! I hope that you all notice the quality slightly improved, as this is the very first chapter that has been beta'd. Mad Zia Magdalena was kind enough to read it over for me ^^

Also, I don't usually do this in chapters, but there were some very nice anonymous reviews that I wish to reply to. An anon called JustSomeRandom left a long review, and for that I'm really happy ^^ It is unfortunate, but I have to kind of choose between writing Naruto and writing Gai's team, because while Aurora is friends with both of them, they don't know each other. As it stands, Aurora is far more likely to hang with Lee/Tenten/Gai because they can help her with problems. On another note, multiple people have made comments about Aurora moving out. There is no chance of that for now. They are two 12 year olds living on a government allowance. They aren't ready to be independent- emotionally, mentally, or in terms of money. Also, it's funny that Sasuke was mentioned, the original plan was for her and Sasuke to be sort of friends, or at least on the same wavelength. However, when I put them alone in the same room (chapter 6) they just wouldn't listen to me. I hadn't realized until I started writing that part, that there was no way that they were going to get along.

Oh yeah, I also signed up for an invite to AO3 (another fanfiction site), since it seems to be growing more popular by the moment. I'm set to receive my invite December 1st , 2012. When I do, I'll be uploading there as well as here, just as a back up in case it gets taken down for some reason (you've all heard about the purge. I don't write sex or anything, but you never know what else they might start taking down)

If anyone has a spare invite for AO3 that they don't know who to give to, I'd be happy to use it XD. Otherwise, I am content in waiting until December.


	13. Reversal II

The Hokage wanted to see me and Cerelia. This was bad, so very bad. What if he heard us talking about the manga? He would think that we were crazy, or at least spies. We could be tortured or killed!

"Don't worry, Aurora. I'm sure it's nothing bad. The Hokage is a very fair man." Gai-sensei patted my back awkwardly, using my real name in a moment of honest compassion. I fervently wished that I could also be confident about it, but something very bad was clearly about to happen.

"So... I take it you don't know what it's about?" I asked nervously.

"No, I have no idea. We need to collect your sister right now, and get to Hokage tower." He answered gravely. I nodded, peeking at Lee briefly. His face had also gone serious, but he perked up upon noticing my stare.

"I volunteered to come with Gai-sensei, I knew you'd need a morale boost!" He produced his signature wink-smile-thumbs up. Most people were annoyed by the admittedly dorky expression, but in all honesty, it was sweet. In my panicky state, I couldn't manage more than a slight smile and returning thumbs up.

"Right! Did your sister tell you of her whereabouts?" Gai inquired. Instead of answering, I tilted my head up to the sky, turning my attention to the thick smell of chakra. I took a large breath from my nose, rifling through the hundreds of nearly identical patterns for one that was familiar. I still wasn't really sure that physically sniffing helped, but at the very least it centered my focus and put me in the right mindset.

It took a moment, once I forcefully pushed away the nearby chakra scents of Lee and Gai. Another moment was spent carefully blocking out Gai's overpowering amount of chakra that threatened to break my concentration with its loud noise. Without too much delay, Cerelia's scent finally revealed itself. She was in town somewhere, I knew her general geographic location in comparison to me, but hopefully there weren't too many buildings between her and I, because I couldn't be sure how to get there using roads and streets.

"She's this way", I said simply, pointing in her direction. "I don't know the area exactly, but she's in town."

"Oooh, that's so cool! It must be really cool to be able to sense people like that!" Lee exclaimed as we set forth at a ninja jog. It was similar to running back home, but ninja's had so much more potential for speed. They were most likely being slow for my sake, as it had to be a turtle crawl to them.

"Yes, it's amazing that you've gotten this far from civilian level." I blushed at both of their compliments. " Only because I've been training all this time."

"But it's exactly that youthful will to better yourself that helps so much! Even though any ninja may be able to crush you like a twig, you must continue working hard, and one day you'll reach that level!"

Thanks, I thought sullenly, for reminding me how far behind I still was. I was happy at my progress, but by no means was I at the level I needed to be at in order to succeed. In fact, after almost a full month of sparring with the class, I had only just been included with the middle strength group. As a result, I routinely had my butt handed to me.

As we neared Cerelia's location, I recognized the area. It was the part of town where my old work was. Although the work had been good for me, giving me a chance to learn the village and settle down, I was glad to have left it. Far too much of my time was spent at the academy, training or doing chores to even consider work.

We turned a corner as I listened carefully- we were close enough that her signature was registering in my ears. She had to be on this road somewhere. I looked carefully among the crowd. With this many people, I could only be sure that she was within twenty metres. The place where I used to work sat on my left. There was no reason for her to be in there. Then, I remembered what else was around here, and I looked across the street. Ichiraku Ramen stood by in all its plain and cozy glory.

Sure enough, I spotted her. She was looking down at her lap with an unreadable expression; an empty bowl laid out in front of her. Of course she would be here, the place that Naruto frequently visited. I couldn't help but frown, there was no other reason for her to be here other than to look for him. I already let her talk to Tenten, there was no reason for her to go after another friend just because they also happen to be some figure in her stupid "canon". Nevertheless, it didn't matter why she was here. There were more pressing matters.

"Cerelia", I tapped her on the shoulders. She spun around, I saw the darkness in her eyes. Her meeting with Tenten hadn't gone well, and she looked ready to tell me about it. Then, I gestured to Gai-sensei and Lee behind me. It was comical almost, the way her face suddenly perked up with hope. I knew it was going to go down again.

"You remember Gai-sensei and Lee, right?" At this, Cerelia's confidence seemed to flow back and she opened her mouth. I didn't let her start. " They're here to take us to the Hokage. He wants to talk to us about something."

Cerelia's eyes twitched in confusion. Finally, she spoke. "Why would the Hokage want to see us? We haven't done anything wrong. Or, at least I know I haven't."

The quiet accusation wasn't very subtle. How dare she accuse me of doing something bad enough to get the Hokage to summon us? I had been nothing but courteous and law-abiding. If anything, I bet that she was the one who did something bad. Now, however, was not the time for counter accusations. As if to prove my point, Gai-sensei intervened.

"I'm certain that neither of you have done anything wrong. Most likely, it is a school matter. No matter what it is about, we must make for Hokage Tower. Being late is for the un-youthful, you know!" Cerelia rolled her eyes, shrugged her shoulders, and stood up. I glared. For someone who wanted to make friends, she sure was being intolerable of their differences. Regardless, we set out to the Hokage tower, at a comfortable pace. The village was busy, neither me nor my sister were confident jumping across roofs yet. There was a fresh blanket of awkward silence. I wasn't willing to make conversation with Cerelia right there, and our ninja companions seem to have noticed the tension. Cerelia was probably taking something serious for once.

It left me nothing to be distracted by, I could only restore my previous fear and build it up further as we reached the building. Unmistakably, my insides began to twist in anxiety, as we walked up a flight of stairs and stood outside a door. The Hokage was undoubtedly behind there, based on the screech of chakra that was assaulting my ears. I clasped my hands over the sides of my head, accomplishing nothing. It was just like when my chakra sense was first coming in. the pain was unbearable, and with my heart already beating with fright, I could barely think to stop it.

Then, a voice broke through. "Aurora, what's wrong? Did you hit your head?" Cerelia waved a hand in front of my face. I flinched back, the Hokage's massive chakra overwhelming my head. Still, it made me break away from my panic long enough to remember that it could be controlled, just like when a Jounin got too close. I trained my eyes purposefully at a dark stain on the floor in order to focus my mind. Slowly, my mental barriers slid in place, quieting the offending chakra to a normal whisper. My normal defenses were not defunct, they just needed time to adjust to something so much bigger than they could usually handle.

Just as I got my senses under control, the door swung open. It wasn't just the Hokage. There was a fearsome looking man with long scars on his face, as well as a man with long blonde hair in a ponytail. I didn't know who they were, but it looked like they meant business. Beside me, Cerelia gasped and froze in place. Perhaps she recognized them.

"Please, don't be intimidated. Come in", The Hokage spoke gently. By then, I had just registered that Gai-sensei and Lee were gone. They had Probably left when I was being overwhelmed by chakra. I nodded slightly, glancing at the other two men worriedly. The Hokage closed the door behind us and put his palm over the door. I felt a prickling across my skin as he released a jutsu of some kind.

"This is just so that we are not overheard. There are several sensitive matters that need to be discussed. Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable." He gestured to a pair of chairs that had been placed in the middle of the room. While I was terrified, as the three accomplished ninja could probably tell, I tried to compose myself anyways and sat down quietly. Cerelia sat as well, her posture stiff and frightened- Just like mine.

"So, the first thing I would like to say is that neither of you are in trouble. You do remember how you two were first enrolled in the academy, yes?" Oh, I remembered all right. The first day we landed in this world. It hadn't even been a full year, but so much had changed since then. Back then, I didn't even want to be a ninja because I was so scared and horrified to be compared to my sister.

"Well, you must understand that it was quite suspicious to have two strangers, even young and untrained girls such as yourselves to come up asking to join the academy. It would have been a perfect position for a spy from another land, because they would not only gain valuable intelligence on our training system, but would also be in a position of trust."

"B-but we aren't spies!" Cerelia cried out. The Hokage smiled. "Yes, I know. But then, I didn't know. I decided that it would be a better idea to just go along with it, in order to find out who you really were and what your plan was. So I gave the two of you an apartment and accepted your cover story, which I immediately could see was only a half-truth at best." He explained. I could see the sense in his explanation, but all it did was alarm me further. Even back then, the Hokage thought we were spies? We could have been killed on a moments notice.

"In short," The Hokage began, "your apartment has been bugged for as long as you've lived there."

I paled. Cerelia began shaking beside me. How many times had we mentioned the manga and "canon" universe in the presumed safety of those four walls? As far as I know, we never mentioned the major events of the story, mostly because I didn't know them and we agreed that I didn't need to hear it. But Cerelia would still mention people I didn't know, people that she probably shouldn't have known about. And there was no good way to explain why we talked about coming from another world and this one existing as a story.

"Like I said, you two are _not_ in trouble. I admit, we were baffled at first. We thought that perhaps, you were much more skilled than we thought, and we were being fed strange lies. Coming from a different world is such a ridiculous notion. But I continued the observation, as no regular spy activities had occurred yet."

"Look, I can't really explain it at all, but it's really true, that we came from another world!" Cerelia blurted out. I was torn. There was no way to explain it at all. Yet, it was the truth.

"Yes, I believe that you think that. Originally, we believed it was a charade, but there were no signs of it letting up and no reasonable advantage to having us question your mental capacities. It was at a stalemate, until your chakra pathways began to open. It's a normal occurrence for babies around one year old. Everyone is born with chakra, but the pathways are too fragile at birth, so they are naturally born with blocks to prevent damage. They develop through the first year, and then the blocks dissolve one by one. It sometimes happens late, or not at all, but never at this age. Not to mention, your knowledge in specific people from the start, and the insistence that they were from some kind of story was hard to ignore. We were intrigued."

"The case of you two actually became a challenge for many in the intelligence department. There were so many mysteries, and even several betting pools on what the actual story was. At some point or another, I believe almost everyone in intelligence secretly worked on some independent research, because they crack your case so badly."

The Hokage paused in his talking to look pointedly at the other two ninja in the room. The scarred man just smirked, while the long haired man put his hand to his head in exasperation. "What can I say, it was the kind of mystery you only find in novels."

I shifted in my seat. It wasn't exactly comforting to find that dozens of ninja had scrutinized my situation, looking for any hint of truth.

"You two must understand, the questioning eventually had to come to an end. You stumped our best. It is now time to ask you ourselves. Meet Yamanaka Inoichi and Morino Ibiki." The two men nodded as their respective names were spoken.

"As you may know, Morino Ibiki is the head of the Torture and Interrogation force. Provided all goes well, there should be no need to hand you over to him. He is here just in case it does come to that."

I gulped, pressing against my seat further. I couldn't even begin to think of how bad torture could be.

"If you are willing, there is no reason for you to go through torture. The Yamanaka clan has several mind related jutsus. Inoichi in particular is skilled in mind reading. It can work against the unwilling, but we will need to go deeper than simply a day or two worth of events. For that level of searching, it is much safer for both parties that you consent. We are going to look into both of your histories. If all goes well, you may be on your way and finish your academy training.

I sincerely hoped that all went well. I didn't want to be tortured. Mind reading was so invasive, and I nearly quaked at the thought. But if it cleared our names... it had to be done. Cerelia was not speaking, so I ventured a question of my own.

"What exactly will you be looking for in our memories? How does the mind reading work?" I directed this question to the Hokage, but he merely gestured to Inoichi, who took that as a cue to speak.

"Well, essentially, I put my hand on your forehead, and activate the jutsu. You will be unconscious throughout the ordeal, and will experience little pain, provided that you do not resist. After wards, you may feel headaches for up to three days. I will be looking for any information regarding Konoha or other ninja villages. I will also be looking for any memories of maps or location to determine where you lived prior to this supposed jutsu that brought you here."

That was probably fair, but still dangerous. "But some of the events in the story haven't happened yet. I don't know if it actually is the future of this world, but all of the events that have happened in the past seem to match the story, at least to our knowledge."

"Yes, that is admittedly a risk. If this story really is our future, it's been agreed that no one should know of it. I'm not the only one who can read minds, after all. It would be a great advantage to know of future events, but no matter how accurate it might be, we can not trust it. After all, one small change we make could throw the accuracy off and possibly plunge ourselves into even more danger. I will put a block on myself that will immediately erase any supposed future events from my mind. I will only remember details that are accurate to what is already known."

I looked down to my lap. It was a smart idea, a chance to prove our story once and for all. They would have to put any accusations to rest with our brains laid bare and picked apart. It was the only way I could see avoiding torture. I turned my eyes back to the three Shinobi

"I'll do it." I answered firmly. Beside me, Cerelia spoke up. "Me too."

The Hokage nodded, and the three stood up. Ibiki almost looked like he was disappointed, I didn't know whether it was because he liked interrogating people, or just wanted to crack our case with his own hands.

"Good. We will need to go to another room, where the device that Inoichi needs is held. It will amplify the speed and strength of his mind reading, so that a job like this won't take weeks." The Hokage beckoned to us, Cerelia and I standing up in uncertainty. I really hoped that I wouldn't be out for too long. As if to answer my question, Inoichi added, "Don't worry, the process will only be about an hour, and we allow your mind to sleep off the stress after wards. All things considered, you should wake up again after four or so hours. Although, it really depends on the amount of memories I need to sift through."

The Hokage placed his hand on the door again. The seal glowed, and disappeared. We walked out single file. I was just behind Cerelia, and for that I was glad. Even with our current situation, I was glad for once to have her in view. I didn't know if I could handle it being just me.

The mind reading device was in another nearby building. It did not calm my nerves at all. What lay in front of us was a large circular machine, covered in concentric rings of writing. I supposed they were seals of some kind. Behind the machine lay a tall, half circle counter with pipes protruding out the bottom and into a gap in the floor. There were three spots at the counter surrounded in more seal lines. As Inoichi casually unlatched and opened part of the machine, revealing a chair, my eyes widened even further. I did not want to go in there. But I had to.

three people filed into the room behind us, taking their places at the counter. The Hokage turned to us. "This machine only takes one person at a time. Do either of you want to volunteer to go first?"

I shrunk back slightly. Surely Cerelia would go for it anyways, eager to prove the truth. When there was no confident reply, I turned to Cerelia. She was sweating, and shaking. Cerelia was completely terrified. While in this world I had seen her act irrational, arrogant, over confident, depressed, frustrated, and just plain stupid. But I had never, ever seen her in such a state of fear. Perhaps she was even more afraid than I was.

This may have been the very first time that I truly felt like I needed to take responsibility from her. Whether it was a good or bad thing, Cerelia had always acted like the older sister. There shouldn't ever have been an older sister position in the first place, because we were twins. There was no reason that I couldn't, or even shouldn't take responsibility.

Before I could change my mind, I answered, "I'll go first". I stepped towards Inoichi cautiously. He nodded and gestured to the seat inside. The side of the machine swung on its hinges and closed, exposing only my head. I twisted slightly to glance at my sister, luckily the neck gap was designed for bigger people, and my hair did not get pinched too tightly. Her jaw was gaping as she stared at my head. Then she gulped and sent me a look filled with relief.

"It would be better if you did not watch your sister, why don't you go and wait outside?" The Hokage suggested, turning to Cerelia. "I, on the other hand, have other important matters to attend to, now that this is being sorted out." He continued, nodding at the others in the room before striding out. Cerelia back up to the door in uncertainty.

"There are chairs just outside the door. Just don't stray from them." Ibiki explained. Cerelia glanced at him in surprise- this was the first time that he spoke. Hesitantly, she left the room. I was left completely alone, surrounded by strangers about to intrude on my past and read my mind. Inoichi smiled in sympathy.

"I think this is the first time in a long while that this machine has been used on non-ninja, even those in the academy. Perhaps it is the first time that it's been used to go this far back in a person's life. You and your sister's case really is unique. I will attempt to skim past more personal moments for your benefit. So long as you don't resist the jutsu, there should be no pain and you will wake up in your apartment."

"I'll try", I said simply. Seeing as I didn't even know how to resist in the first place, I was probably good to go. Inoichi lifted his hand towards my face. Gently, he touched his palm to my forehead. I could both hear and feel the chakra swirling through his body. It focused into his hand and changed slightly as he prepared to pierce through my mind.

I also heard the rumble of chakra from the three other people. As it flowed into the seal lines around me, I felt a prickling, much like static electricity. For a split second, I felt Inoichi's chakra enter my mind, and at the same time the other three chakras flooded me. I only had time to stop my own chakra from lashing out at the foreign energy, which it greatly wished to do. After that, there was only darkness.

* * *

All too soon, I woke again. I thought for certain, that something was wrong and I was awake in the middle of the reading. After all, I had only just closed my eyes. As I opened them however, I was greeted with the walls of the bedroom. I turned over, seeing Cerelia sleeping peacefully beside me. So it must have worked just fine.

Slowly, I pulled myself out of bed. The more time I spent awake, the more I realized that my head was pounding. Undoubtedly it was a side effect, but that didn't mean that I couldn't help it. Luckily there was a can of tea leaves in the cupboard, as well as a kettle. I filled the kettle with water from the tap, and lit the stove.

Sadly, there was no acetaminophen or even ibuprofen to be had in the apartment. I decided that next time I would go out, medicine would be on the list. Looking around for something to do that wasn't very labour intensive, I found my stash of library books on the kitchen table. There was a very informative book on plants. While some plants in our world could act like antibiotics and the like, this world had plants on a whole new scale, as I'd found out.

There was a whole section on "chakra-activated herbs", where special healing properties could be brought out with the application of chakra. There was another category for deadly poisons and plants that could counter specific diseases. I decided that, as a way to assist injured, or care for myself during a mission, this would be a lot more efficient to learn than medical jutsu.

After all, if I wanted to learn medical jutsu, I would have to start with the absolute basics, and divert all my time and energy if I wanted to be able to cure even the slightest cut. Based on my progress, I probably could get the control aspect down, but not the sheer amount of chakra that had to be used in one sitting. I had a serious problem with expending a lot of chakra at once. Whenever I tried to pour more than a certain amount of chakra into one jutsu, it would all backfire. I would stick to using weaker jutsu more efficiently for now, especially since that was most of what we learned.

Besides, being informed about plants had multiple uses, such as with poisons and nutrition. It was less glamorous than fancy medical jutsu, but it was practical both for learning and for usage.

I studied the book for a while, stopping to steep the tea, and soon later to pour a mug. Mostly, I just gazed at the hand drawn illustration with fascination. I didn't want to aggravate my headache any further. Many of the books in this library, and perhaps in this world as a whole, were old fashioned with limited copies. This text for example, was one of eight, and only held in the Konoha library. Even that was considered a large amount, as many books were unique, with only one or two copies hidden away.

I was certain that this world at least had printing presses, especially since they had telephone wires and modern fridges. Another hint was that there were textbooks that definitely seemed mass produced at the academy. For whatever reason, they didn't like to make many copies of things, and certainly didn't like to spread them to the rest of the world. It was so strange, how similar and yet dissimilar this world was to my own. Not to say that my world as a whole never had problems with the spread of information. No, I referred to the privileged and sheltered society I lived in as my world.

My musings were interrupted by the loud foot steps of a recently awoken person. My attention was brought to a bleary eyed Cerelia. She was clutching her forehead in pain as she stumbled further into the kitchen area. I decided to greet her.

"Hey. Feeling a headache?" Cerelia nodded miserably, and turned to the cupboards above the sink, intent on finding something. I assumed that she wanted medicine.

"We don't have anything for headaches, I already checked. I made tea, though. It helps a little."

"oh", Cerelia said simply. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat across from me. After rubbing her eyes for a moment, she glanced down at the table. The act drew my sight to the strange metal constructs on the table, and an official looking note.

"What is that?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "I didn't even notice it before, actually." I reached out to grab the note. As she saw me reach, Cerelia's hand also shot forward. I snatched it anyways, earning an annoyed roll of her eyes.

"It's from the Hokage. He says that, as a goodwill gesture of our cooperation, he has had ordered for our apartment to be completely debugged. Also, our case is far from closed, due to the complexity of the situation, but we have been cleared of suspicious intent, and may continue our training at the academy. We may be called in for questioning or mind reading sessions in the future." I explained as I read through the letter.

"Oh yeah, he also says that, unfortunately, our status as Konoha citizens has been suspended, because you in particular have a lot of sensitive information. It doesn't mean anything, other than that we can not leave the village without being a ninja. Villagers need papers to both leave and enter the village, while ninja only need to show their headband." I finished the letter, feeling more or less indifferent.

"I guess they just don't trust us quite enough." I mused, thinking over the possibilities. "They wouldn't have as much of a problem once we become ninja, because we'll be subject to more control. After all, ninja are permanently tethered to their hidden village, facing death on desertion."

Cerelia stayed silent, but her mouth turned to a frown that became deeper as I continued to speak. Eventually, she plucked the letter out of my hands and skimmed it as if she didn't trust my words. I shrugged it off, acknowledging that I would have taken it from her to read as well. Instead of becoming annoyed, I picked up one of the little devices and analyzed it.

"I suppose that these were the cameras that they took out" Cerelia snorted at my words. "Do you honestly think that they took everything out? The whole place is probably still bugged."

I thought for a moment, thinking on her words. It was certainly a possibility. They were tiny little things, and could be hidden anywhere. There wasn't a practical way to search for them, especially since they had probably been under a high level Genjutsu anyways. They _had _thought we were spies, it would only make sense that they would pull all of the stops to keep an eye on us. Still, I didn't think that the Hokage would lie.

"I don't think so, Cerelia. I mean, what would the Hokage gain by lying? Even if he told us straight up that we were still being watched, it would be easy enough to bypass any measures we could possibly take against being spied on. Also, they already looked through both of our minds, and as far as I know, you can't really fool mind reading, so they have to know we are honest. There's no reason for them to get our trust falsely. At best, they believe us, and at worst, they think that we've been duped in some spectacular manner."

Cerelia glared at me. "I'm just saying, neither of us thought that the Hokage would be watching in the first place. You're an idiot if you think you can predict what he'd try and do."

A hot spring of anger began to pool in my chest. "Like you're one to talk about predicting people's actions. You've still got a stupid plan to have Sasuke fall in love with you, which is entirely based on what you think his actions will be! And just so you know, you are nothing like Sasuke. Personally, I'd consider that a compliment." I sniped back, angry at her accusation. I wasn't predicting his actions, merely stating reasons why one particular action wouldn't make sense!

"Don't you compare that to this! This is completely different!" Cerelia's voice rose as she became more worked up.

"How is it different? You are being a hypocrite!"

she growled in response, changing her angle. "Well, how dare you insult Sasuke! He and I are plenty similar. We're both misunderstood, popular, intelligent, and uninterested in weakness!"

I couldn't help but snort. "perhaps he may be those things, but all I see when I look at him is a snobby jerk who thinks everyone is below him. Plus, you've been _none_ of those things lately! Misunderstood? Lately, I think I've been understanding you a whole lot more than I've ever done back home. You haven't been popular, or made an intelligent decision in a long time, and you must be obsessed about being weak since you never train at all!"

By now, both of us were seething in rage. "This has nothing to do with the stupid Hokage and his spying and that painful pointless mind reading, which is your fault, by the way!" Cerelia screamed.

"What!?" I sputtered, "How could this possibly be _my_ fault? Your the one who's always mentioned people and things we shouldn't know about! I didn't even know anything to begin with!" I stepped closer to her, outraged at the bold accusation.

"If you weren't here, I wouldn't have to talk about it at all! It would stay in my head! But because you're here, I have to explain everything!" She said all of this with such a self righteous, blaming glint in her eyes, that my pool of anger became more like a volcano.

"How in the world does that count as my fault!? I never asked you to tell me these things, you just went on your deluded tangents without any input from me! This might be a news flash for you, but I'm not the one who decided to screw over my life and transport myself to a new world just because I was way too obsessed with a story! It's not my fault I'm here!" I screeched. It had been a long time since I brought up the situation that led to my place here. I was past being able to describe myself as simply "angry" at this point.

"I didn't ask you to barge into my room and cut yourself with a knife like a complete retard! In fact, I wish you didn't! You've been nothing but horrible, usurping all of my attempts at friendships and trying to show me up all the time!", countered Cerelia. We had abandoned the table, and were now standing mere inches apart, screaming into each others faces.

"Oh, I'm so sorry that I cared about my sister messing around with occult magic! I guess that was a mistake on my part. But I am not sorry for trying to make something for myself here! I'm not sorry that I decided to work hard to do something worthwhile. I'm especially not sorry that it payed off while your philosophy of "everything-will-be-handed-to-me-on-a-silver-platter" ended up biting you in the ass!"

"H-how dare you!? Get out!"

"Oh, so you admit it's true then? Can't think of a comeback?", I viciously snapped. "Where do you want me to go, genius? We share an apartment, and a room on top of that! In the end, no matter how much either of us dislike it, we're both sleeping in the same room tonight!"

"No, just go away! You're the delusional one, if you think any of what you said is true or even justified! I never knew you were such a horrible, mean, shallow person inside! I feel sorry for you!"

"Ha, haha!", I laughed. But it wasn't a real laugh, it was a scorning, sarcastic sound full of bitterness. " I think you should look into a mirror. I'm not the one who's mean, or shallow, or delusional. I'm just the one that got sick and tired of hero worshiping someone who doesn't deserve it. I've given up on justifying your actions and behaviors, and I've certainly given up believing the crap you feed to me just to put me down. Did you think that I was never going to rise up against this bitter, hateful relationship of ours?"

"You can't justify yourself with some bogus sob story! Just admit that you're being the worst sister in the world!" She screeched, and I could only jut my chin out in defiance.

"I'm not going to tell a lie to you! You seem content to tell enough for the both of us!"

"J-just stop! Stop!" Her tone became nearly as desperate as it was angry.

"I won't stop! You've been pushing me around for years! I'm making up for it now!"

She shook with uncontrolled indignation, as did I. We both stared each other down, neither wanting to back off. Cerelia broke the tension filled silence.

"I-I _hate_ you!", she whispered with such vehemence that I immediately snapped back. "I hate you, too! And I'm glad that things aren't going your way! You deserve it." I spoke the last three words at a normal volume, putting as much venom in it as possible. My limbs twitched, fists clenched so tightly that my fingernails were currently leaving imprints on the palms of my hands.

Almost in slow motion, Cerelia's eyes seemed to fill with hate, even more so than before. Her arm reached back, and with an almost calming certainty, I realized that she planned to hit me again. After all the strife and the promising that she wouldn't do it. Her feet slid into a more stable stance, and I knew she was planning to put as much force as possible into it. Her arms shifted in position, to the familiar Taijutsu style we learned at the academy. She was going to try to hurt me as a ninja, and not just as an impulsive child like before.

I realized that I wasn't afraid. In fact, as I brought up an arm, I realized that I was even more angry. I was mad that she thought to harm me after her fervent promises. I was also mad that she thought she could even manage to hit me. It was easy work to slide her fist up and away from my face, even with rage blood pounding in my ears.

If Cerelia thought she could willingly try to knock me out without any repercussions, she had another thing coming. That was as far as I thought. Beyond that, there was only action, as my sparring instincts came into play. I leaned away from her face, coming at me with leftover momentum. I reeled my own arm back. As she straightened up again, I struck. The heel of my palm crashed into her nose, sending her reeling back. My foot behind her legs caused her to crash to the ground. A foot on her chest prevented her from getting up again.

After a few moments, I realized that she wasn't trying to get back up. The cloud of rage obscuring my mind lifted enough to allow me to look to Cerelia's face. Her nose was set at a very unnatural angle, and what seemed like a river of red was streaming from the wound. She looked like a train wreck, tears streaming down her face, and eyes looking up at me in terror.

Shock evaporated whatever rage I had left. She was crying, screaming in pain and fear. "Ohh, my... gosh" I whispered. What had I done? This was worse than whatever blow she could have caused me. I don't think she could hit hard enough to shove a nose up like _that. _Certainly not hard enough to also cause a cut at the impact point.

My hands covered my mouth in horror for what I had done. I hadn't just stooped to her level, I had dug way past it. As Cerelia wept openly, I realized something. I _was_ a horrible person. I abused my training and strength to cause pain. I was immediately overcome with shame and regret. Who would do this, and to their own sister?

With a shake of my head, I realized that Cerelia needed help. I dashed to the balcony, bringing the location of the hospital to mind. I'd never tried jumping across the buildings, but I knew I could leap that far. It was only the fear of the ground which frightened me into inaction. A fear of heights was irrelevant at this point, and I ignored it as I swiftly maneuvered onto the roof. I took a moment to remember the necessary direction, and then I was off.

I didn't even look at the streets below as I passed them. I didn't think about how I was only barely making every jump, thudding onto each roof ungracefully. It only mattered that I get to the hospital as soon as possible. I didn't know what I'd do if her damage was permanent, or if she bled out. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Not after I said such hateful words.

Soon, I made it. The hospital was near the middle of town so that it wasn't too far from any one place. As I stood outside the double doors, I had a moment of weak hesitation. What would happen if I got them to come? They would know it was me. I could get charged with assault, and they might even remove me from the academy. This one act could end everything that I worked towards.

After more time than I'd like to admit, I squashed the traitorous thoughts. The damage was already done, and if I didn't get Cerelia help, that would make me even more horrible. So, filled with guilt as I was, I hurried into the hospital.

I rushed through a bare explanation to the lady at the front desk. Immediately, she pressed something at her desk, bringing two nurses in a puff of smoke. They were emergency medic-nin. I hastily gave them the address, and they disappeared with their ninja speed jutsu. The woman at the desk pointed at a row of chairs, and I sat in one glumly.

I laid my head in my hands, thinking of all that could go wrong, but trying to think of nothing at all. Everything was so messed up. I only wanted to assert myself, and bring us to equal standing. I didn't want to reverse our roles, and become the sister to be feared. My arms shook with anger at myself.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was startled from my dark thoughts with the sound of a clearing throat. One of the emergency medic-nins was standing in front of me. She beckoned, and I got off the chair to follow her silently. I wondered what she was going to say, upon seeing the horrible thing I had done. Instead of launching into how much trouble I was in, she brought me into a room. I shrunk back as I realized that Cerelia was in there, tears still at the corners of her eyes, and a hand covering her face.

I forced myself to march into the room. I would have to face the damage that I caused. As I neared the bed, I realized that Cerelia was not hiding her disfigured face, and was instead probing it. I couldn't imagine why she would want to touch such a tender, painful wound, but as she took her hand away I realized with a jolt that her nose was in perfect shape. There was nothing unnatural about it. There was no bruising, cut, or blood either.

"It turned out that you overestimated the damage done. Your sister here only had some swelling, a shallow gash and a broken nose, both only cause temporary pain and are an easy fix. She might be a little sleepy as many people are even from minor healing, but she will suffer no ill effects from this experience. Still, this is a matter of intentional damage, not from a training match, so I'd like to hear both of your stories." The medic-nin explained, in a very matter-of-fact tone.

As I did my best to explain the events leading up to the damage, I was filled even more with shame. Although a lot of what I said had a point of truth, it was all said with such a fervent wish to cause pain. Even without my hands, I was trying to cut her up. I finished, nearly in tears. Finally, I muttered out a wobbly apology.

"I am so, so sorry, Cerelia. I'm sorry I said all those horrible things in an attempt to hurt you, and I'm sorry I hit you. I want to say that I didn't mean to, but at that time, I was just so angry that you were trying to hit me too, that I wanted to do it. I'm so ashamed of myself." I choked. Cerelia clenched at the sheets she was lying on.

The ninja turned to ask for Cerelia's side. She added a few details that I had unintentionally missed, and simply added that everything I had said was the truth. The medic-nin sighed.

"I guess there isn't really much to do. Technically, the injuring of Cerelia counts as self defense, but since no damage was taken by Aurora, neither of you can be reliably charged. If you really wanted, you could pursue the case, but this kind of thing is usually written off. Especially because you are clearly regretful of your decisions." She said the last sentence, staring at me.

"I couldn't be more regretful. I'll never do it again."

"Good", the medic-nin smiled and stood up. "Right, you both are excused now. In the future, remember to always be mindful of your strength, even when you're angry."

We both nodded to the woman, and walked out behind her, leaving the building. As I glanced to my sister, who looked less afraid, but still skittish, I was overcome with yet another wave of self-disgust.

I promised myself that, from then on, I would never raise my hand to Cerelia in a fight ever again. Even if she were to hit me, I would never strike back. Any satisfaction on my part would never be worth the damage. This time, I got off lucky. What if I was even stronger than her next time? What if, in anger, I aimed for her neck? I could barely stand to think about it. If she wanted to hurt me in revenge for this, I'd let her. I deserved it, and worse.

* * *

A/N: So sorry for the time gap between part one and part two. I actually finished this only five days after part one was posted, but there were some issues with my betas computer, which I didn't realize at first and we both kind of let it sit for a while instead of addressing anything. In other words, it isn't my fault, but it isn't really my betas fault either. So please, to those who I know are impatient for updates- I really appreciate that you enjoy it, but please refrain from any complaints about the length of time for this update. It was mostly out of our hands.

Oh yeah, information related to the plot: someone actually guessed the whole hokage thing in this chapter before I even posted chapter twelve. I just wanted to clarify that I was already planning this plot point, and I didn't decide to do it upon reading that review. They actually made a very correct prediction C:

Related to this problem: My beta is still unable to properly use her computer to email documents back and forth. So, until she is ready to beta again, I was wondering if anyone would like to take the job on?

Something unrelated to this problem: I was out of internet for the last two weeks and damn, I am glad to be back XD because of that, I have an idea in the making for another fanfiction, although it is not Naruto related so I doubt most of you who read this will be interested. I'll make another note about it next chapter, when I'll hopefully have it uploaded. I'm also probably taking down my story "Not Quite Hopeless", although I may rewrite and reasubmit it later. The fact that the main, interesting idea of the story is that its a boarding high school AU doesn't really sit well with me. I might rework it to add something much more interesting, or just scrap it.

Hope you guys liked the chapter :D


	14. Study

A/N I don't normally put these at the beginning, but to people who read this story and haven't noticed yet- I rewrote the first chapter. No other chapters have been changed. So if you want to, check the first chapter out again.

* * *

"As you all know, the theory exam is in two weeks, and the practical exam two weeks after that. I imagine that most of you know exactly where you and what you need to do in terms of preparation. So I'll give you this ten page review, and it is your choice whether you want to complete it or not. By this point, everyone who is failing, is failing because they want to." Iruka concluded his speech by slapping a thick pile of papers on the front of his desk. I frowned, wanting to complain at the speech. After all, I was barely passing, sitting at a 54%. I certainly didn't want to fail, there was just only so much you could do to make up for having no background information. I was doing better now in terms of knowledge, up from a mere 30% midterm mark, at the very least.

Plus, from glancing around, I knew I wasn't the only one to take slight offense to that. Naruto beside me was fuming, a nasty scowl on his face. Sparing a glance at Cerelia revealed a sick, almost pained expression. To my surprise, Yuki looked a little uneasy. I knew he was failing, heck everyone knew the one kid that wanted to drop out was failing. Maybe he was having second thoughts about that. Everyone else either ignored Iruka's warning words, or nodded along.

Iruka stared at us for several moments, then he nodded and dismissed the class. We poured out, an unsurprising small amount of people taking the review. I stopped to pick mine up, almost bumping into Naruto. He slumped over, narrowing his eyes at the pile of review packages.

"Oh, are you going to do the review?" I asked, surprise coating my voice. Naruto groaned.

"I reeeaaaally don't want to... but I'm almost failing... aaaagh!" He grabbed my shoulder and shook it. "I need to become a ninja, I've got to! But I think I'm going to die before I take the test it I have to do this whole thing! But if I don't, I might f- not get as awesome of a pass."

I sighed. "Well, it looks like you better do the review, then. It's not that bad, not as if you need to do the whole thing in a day. I'm going to do one too, so why don't we just review together?" He paused, turning to me with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"That's... a great idea! Way to go Aura! Oh, but we should invite Sakura too!" I shrug in agreement. "Sure, if you can get her to agree, the more the merrier." I didn't really think Sakura would want to, after all she was top of the class in theory. Plus, it was Naruto asking. Still, it would be good for a few more people to come. As Naruto ran off, forgetting his package, I picked two up for the both of us and thought about who I might invite.

It would be nice to have someone really smart, but realistically if someone was smart then they wouldn't need to review. I scanned the room, snorting as Ino, Sakura, and Manami trailed after Sasuke, whining about making a study group. There went Naruto, scrambling after Sakura, shouting her name as if she couldn't hear him, and wasn't trying to angle past Ino in avoidance.

Cerelia stood by the doorway, review in hand. I approached her hesitantly. She would most likely agree, but it would be to get all over Naruto, rather than actually study. Then again, since we had settled back into an uneasy _something_ that couldn't be called sibling-hood anymore, she had been a little more subdued about her grand plans. Cerelia still had them, for sure, but it seemed like every time Sasuke ignored her, or Naruto snorted at her, her expectations dropped. I wasn't surprised by that, only that it took so long. My hopes were that soon she would give them up entirely and try to live normally.

I bit the inside of my cheek, stalling for a moment, before stepping up. She did live with me, it was common courtesy to ask. "Cerelia?" She turned at the sound of her name, freezing as she saw me. She looked as if she wanted to drop her review and run. "Do you-" I halted, hardening my resolve. "Want to work through the review booklet with me... and Naruto?" I winced in anticipation of her freaking out. Only to be surprised as she shook her head sadly.

"No... I-I really can't. I've got... things I need to do." Cerelia immediately turned around and ran out the door. I couldn't help but tilt my head. That was... odd. Cerelia definitely looked like she had some stuff on her mind. Still, that was as good an answer as I could hope for. Even if it meant I should find someone else. I walked out the classroom, I was the only student left at that point.

Naruto came bowling into me as I left the school. At this point, I was very familiar with his particular chakra, and easily avoided the incoming sound. He skidded across the gravel and turned around, pouting. "You're no fun at all. Oh, and Sakura didn't want to study with us." He scratched his head, which now sported a sizable goose egg.

"Oh Naruto, you really shouldn't let her beat up on you like that." I said, almost wanting to tut as I stepped closer and examined the injury. There was another case of glasses slicing up the forehead from impact.

"I'm sure Sakura will come around some day! Just as soon as Sasuke stops being such a bastard." I chuckled at Naruto's remark. Of course everything was Sasuke's fault. Sasuke was a bastard, sure, but even he couldn't control how those girls stalked him relentlessly. "Well, whatever! Let's get going so we can get it over with!" Naruto nagged.

I gaped. "Naruto. Are you actually initiating studying?" I pointed at him accusingly. "Are you a spy? What did you do to Naruto!?" I wasn't serious, but crap that was weird for him. Besides, our hesitant, spur of the moment friendship had settled for long enough that I could feel confident enough for teasing.

"Heeeyyy, don't make fun of me! I just want it to be done with, because it sucks so much." He stuck his tongue out childishly, turning his head in mock petulance when he sees my amusement.

"Fine, fine. Lead the way." He nodded with a grin, annoyance forgotten. I didn't need to say anything as he lead me to his apartment. We both knew that it was just easier to avoid my house entirely. The only big physical difference between the two was that his didn't have a balcony, which kind of sucked since I could now do the whole ninja jump thing and a balcony would make things faster. Instead we had to climb the stairs like normal people, ignoring the disapproving looks from the other residents. The way they always looked at Naruto was a lot to get used to, but I managed.

In a turn of events that somehow continued to surprise me, we actually got right to studying. No whining, no convincing arguments about the questionable practicality of knowing pre-hidden village history. Instead, we worked. We even got all the way into the fifth page before both of us were stumped.

"How am I supposed to figure out the political ramifications of rescuing hostages held by rogue noblemen in different countries? That doesn't even make any sense!" Naruto exclaimed. I smacked my head against the wall- an expression of mutual frustration.

"For once, I agree. This feels way too specific. Was there some kind of incident in the past decade? Maybe a sour Jounin mission that was such a load of political crap that they decided to punish the students?" I said, now glaring at the paper. "Wait, the whole rest of this page is all politics. And I can't answer any of it."

Naruto groaned. "Didn't you just learn everything recently? I mean, it should still be fresh in your head." Truthfully, I knew very little about the political side of things. Really, I had meant to take more comprehensive notes on those textbook packages, but I was distracted at the time with my herbs book. All those cool herbs I now had memorized were much more useful, anyways. It was a lot more fun to go out around the fields and wooded areas of Konoha, searching out and identifying plants than it was to read about the dealings between ninja and samurai.

"Sorry, I'm stumped" I admitted. Naruto threw his arms in the air, aggravation covering the action. "It really would be better if we had a couple more people. Then at least one person would know something."

"Well, how about we find someone then? I'm all for getting someone else to do the work. Use your creepy mind-smell-sense that makes you look related to Kiba."

"My sensing does not make me look like an Inuzuka, especially not Kiba. I don't get slitted eyes for one. And another, I still don't think I'm actually smelling so much as my chakra using the part of the brain that controls scents. That's only for long range anyways, and-"

Naruto cut me off. "Yeah, yeah, I get it! Do you or do you not physically sniff the air like a dog tracking down a scent?" I scowled. It was still true, as much as I was sure smelling the air didn't do anything, I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't find any other way to focus myself on sensing chakra from long range. It really did make me look like a dog, and when I did it in class one time, I got asked by Kiba if I was some kind of distant relative. I tried to be discreet about it, but it always drew eyes from other ninja who paid enough attention to notice such acts.

I huffed to display my annoyance, then took a tentative sniff. I ignored Naruto's snort of amusement and sifted through the nearby chakra signals. Most were civilians, close enough for me to assume they were from the apartment. A few Chunin and Genin scents flitted nearby, sharp and tangy. They had places to be, things to do. It was hard to tell movement using smell, but I assumed they were speeding on by, based on that slight smoky tint that told me their chakra was being used.

I took another breath, deciding to look for individuals that I knew. Gai-sensei and his team weren't in the village, unfortunately for me. I know that Tenten would probably have helped a bit. She was good in the academy, and probably wouldn't ask for much if anything in return. Just thinking about Gai-sensei and Lee made me shudder. How could a teacher know so little about class work I had no idea. Lee had no excuse either, he passed the academy just last year. The first and only time I asked them for academic help taught me that their hard work ethic didn't seem to help in school subjects. Or rather, it would get in the way as they went about studying in exactly the wrong ways. Neji was certainly smart enough, but I wasn't quite comfortable enough with him. I knew enough to see past his spiky, jerk exterior, but only slightly. He was still a gigantic douche most of the time, like he just couldn't allow himself to be nice. Not that I blamed the guy completely, after piecing together bits of his past that wormed their way to me through multiple conversations. Perhaps it was better that the group wasn't around.

I inhaled again, this time catching my sister, predictably in our apartment. I could recognize a few other classmates with slightly more unique chakra scents. Sasuke was somewhere across the village, with his recognizable acidic scent. There was a kind of unpleasant, yet muted after tone to him. I assumed it was his unawakened Sharingan, because Neji and Hinata both had a vaguely similar unpleasantness to their chakra that came from the Byakugan. There was just something about Doujutsu that reminded me of rotting, or overripe fruit. I didn't like it much at all.

Shino was another easy one, with a surprisingly pleasant chakra for one who housed bugs. It was cool, with a sugary sweetness to it, much sweeter than most chakra Perhaps that was what attracted those bugs to the Aburame clan in the first place. He was far enough away and unfamiliar enough that I didn't know where he was, besides the village. The last person I recognized was Shikamaru. He was actually not far from here. In fact, I suspected he was somewhere in the park a few blocks from here. I disconnected my focus, returning to my surroundings.

Naruto looked expectant. "Shikamaru is the only one nearby. Think he would join in?" I asked. Naruto put a finger to his chin.

"I dunno... he's not too smart. I'm not sure he would be able to answer more than us." I shoved Naruto lightly. "Don't call him dumb, unless you're going to call yourself dumb. After all, isn't he actually slightly above you in the class rankings?" Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly.

"Not to mention" I added, " just because we're all doing badly doesn't mean we all do badly in the same areas. The whole point of group studying is that people pick up each others slack. He could very well be able to answer the politics question, but have trouble in the weapons and safety section."

"Fine, let's go drag him over here."

"We aren't going to 'drag him over here'. You've got to ask nicely." I reprimanded. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you want to call it. Let's go!" In a flash, he was at the door, already impatient. By the time I got to the door, he was already down the stairs. I caught up with him just outside the apartment entrance. "Hurry up already" Naruto whined. "Where's Shikamaru so we can nab him and be done with this stupid studying?"

I smell the air again to be certain, keeping his chakra in my mind. "Roughly West-Northwest, somewhere between two and five blocks." I wave my hand in the general direction. We set off, but not without another complaint.

"You should really work on that, being vague is really lame. Wouldn't it be really awesome if you could day exactly where someone was?"

"It's not that I haven't worked on it, Naruto. It's hard when you don't know the chakra very well. There's a few people that I do know well enough to locate within a few metres, though." I explained.

"Cool! Who is it?"

I scratched my head, embarrassed. " Well, my sister, my Genin friends and their teacher-"

"-Who I still haven't met and you suck for not introducing me and telling me who they are. They even thought up a nickname I can actually pronounce!" Naruto interrupted. I shook my head.

"And the last person is, uh, you." He almost halted mid-step, tilting his head to look at me strangely.

"Really?"

I flushed. "We do hang out a lot. Plus, you're like... my first friend, really. I promise I'm not a creeper, I don't just go around tracking people all the time."

Naruto laughed. "You better not! That is pretty creepy though, you'd be one heck of a stalker!" his tone was that of a grossed out person, but his face betrayed a different emotion. He was smiling broadly, as if pleased about something. I elected to ignore it, in favour of our quest. Shikamaru's chakra began to buzz faintly in my ears.

"He just changed to sound. Must be somewhere in the area. Hold on a second." I said, motioning for Naruto to halt. My suspicion was right, we were at that park, and Shikamaru was nearby. I focused on the chakra pattern, double checking that it was his and not someone else in his family. That happened once with Neji a month or so back. I was wondering why he was near the academy, only to find that it was actually Hinata.

Luckily, it was the less refined pattern of a Genin. The whole class was close enough that they felt like especially weak Genin. Shikamaru's had a very decent amount of control though, for all of the lazing that he did. I wondered if his family made him train at home, because it was better than mine despite my hard work. Carefully listening, I moved off the path and wove through the trees. Naruto followed closely behind, keeping quiet save for the loud crunch of his boots through leaves and twigs.

We only walked for a few minute before coming to a small slope, Shikamaru lying back on it asleep. I stopped in my tracks. "I guess I should have thought of this outcome" I said sheepishly. Naruto groaned. "When is he ever awake" Naruto grumbled, before raising his voice. "Hey Shikamaru, wake up!" My careful chakra hearing sensed a hiccup and I knew he awoke just before he cracked one eye open.

He regarded us silently for a moment, and allowed his eye to close again. "Don't go back to sleep!" Naruto yelled. There was no response from Shikamaru. "Get up you lazy bum!"

"Naruto, maybe he doesn't want to help us, then." I said softly, already feeling awkward at the silent rejection. I chewed at the inside of my cheek, glancing between the two boys. Naruto groaned, "You give up way too easily." He trudged over and nudged Shikamaru sharply with his foot. It wasn't quite a kick, but there was easily enough force to elicit a reaction. Shikamaru yelped quietly and scowled, eyes snapping open in annoyance.

"What?" He addressed us pointedly. I immediately glanced down and away, susceptible to his ire. "Umm" I started, " we were wondering if you might want to study with us. We're stuck on one page of the review."

"No thanks." Shikamaru rested his head on the grass again.

"Hey, you didn't even consider it!" Naruto protested, stomping a foot. I thought about what could possibly convince such a laid back person to help us.

"If you're having trouble with some of the subjects, I might, uh, be able to help. Just not with the politics. I can't help that it's all different..."

At this, Shikamaru glanced at me, something unreadable in his gaze. After a moment, he casually replied, "What subjects?"

I shrugged my shoulders, a nervous feeling crawling up my spine. "Um, I'm not too bad at the rules and safety section.. and I usually get stuff right in physics and chemistry."

Naruto suddenly sighed. "Kitaaa, for the last time, it's not called Physics or Chemistry!" I blushed in response. It's been a while since I messed up by giving naming subjects by what they would be called at home.

"Sorry. I get most stuff right in weapon science and consumables." Shikamaru gave me another calculating look, which soon shifted into a raised brow.

"Why do you call them that?"

"Uhmm, it's accidental. At my home village, we were taught a little bit about similar subjects, only not related to being a ninja. We just called them Physics and Chemistry, so I keep messing it up." Mentally, I smack myself. That was stupid. Just because the Hokage and a few are in on my true home doesn't mean that I want to drop hints to everyone. One of these days I'll probably say something really dumb to someone really smart and they'll think I'm some sort of spy. That wouldn't turn out well. At least my excuse sounds plausible, provided it makes sense for isolated villages to teach children school subjects like that. Plus, I don't think Shikamaru is the type to pick up on that sort of thing, so I'm probably fine.

Shikamaru tilted his head in consideration. His eyes strayed to me once more before he nodded. "Fine, I guess I'll help. You two are troublesome enough that I won't get any rest if I refuse."

"Sweet! Get up, then!" Naruto yanked at Shikamaru's arm, pulling him into a standing position. He only freed his arm and rubbed it, frowning with irritation. I grinned, it hadn't seemed like that ploy would work. I was just glad that it did. Now we could finally finish this stupid review.

We went back to Naruto's apartment, and with a third person present, the package was finished in record time. Shikamaru even seemed to be somewhat talkative, and actually engaged in casual conversation. I assumed that it was just the atmosphere of a small group causing him to feel a little more open. Still, I couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled by something that I couldn't quite place. In the end, I left the thought alone. I had enough on my mind with the theory exam coming up anyways.

* * *

A/N: disclaimer- before anyone complains, I know Shikamaru is very intelligent. But Aurora and Naruto don't know this. I don't remember exactly when he shows his intelligence to the other genin, but I do know that at the beginning, they don't know. Cerelia would know, but Aurora hasn't read the story. She doesn't even know he's a canon character. How would she be expected to realize, when he hides it with slacking and disinterest? She's not dumb, but not a genius either. Same with Naruto.

If anyone wanted an explanation, the answer is that I fell out of interest with the story. I haven't read any good Naruto stories in a long time, and I just get annoyed every time I look. The sheer amount of response I've gotten from this story is what convinced me in the end that I should restore my interest. Still, if anyone is writing or keeps track of a good Naruto related story where the protagonist is an oc, let me know.


	15. Reveal

The days leading up to the theoretical exam seemed to fly by. I studied a bit more, although Naruto proclaimed that finishing the review package meant that he was done. Cerelia became more and more withdrawn, and I couldn't quite be certain of the reason. My guess was that she didn't feel confident in passing the test. I was pretty worried myself. As the test loomed, it became harder and harder to concentrate on that kind of studying. I distracted myself with training, mostly physical or chakra control- after all, the practical exam wasn't much farther away. Other times I was distracted by my plants research. It was surprisingly interesting stuff, enough so that I had purchased some potted plants especially useful to ninja. At the very least, they spruced up the apartment.

I also spent a fair bit of time struggling over my replication project. Currently, that project frustrated me to no end. After implementing the idea to use my voice in altering my chakra pattern, I hadn't made any progress. I couldn't figure out what to do after matching my chakra to the dirt. It felt like I was almost there, that I was on the right track. The chakra would latch onto the dirt clumps, and it seem to resonate in some way. But that was it. I still couldn't move anything. I knew I was barking up the right tree, but there was a missing step and until I found it, I was stuck.

I even attempted using other elements, but couldn't even get nearly as close. My chakra pattern would not tame itself to match water, air, or fire. Any serious attempts to do so either backfired in my face, or left my voice raw with the effort. After an embarrassing amount of time, I was forced to conclude that it must have to do with elemental affinities. Each element did feel different, and I must have just been lucky that the first element I tried was the only one that could be used. If nothing else, I at least knew that Earth was probably my affinity. Sure, I could buy some chakra paper to confirm, but seeing as I wasn't even capable of elemental jutsus yet, there was no point. I didn't worry too hard about only having earth available to me. I went into this knowing that I probably would only be able to partially replicate it. I should have realized that chakra elements and my affinity would play a part.

Of course, being occasionally pulled into meetings with the intelligence department made it even harder to study properly. When I heard that they may call us back for further mind readings about our world, I hadn't expected them to go through with it. Each time, I was only told that they were curious about this or that aspect of our home. It was strange- they were so careful about not getting any hint of a possible future, but that same caution did not extend to our world. Why would they be interested at all? The only plausible reward would be the more dangerous weapons in our world, but neither Cerelia nor myself knew anything about how they were made.

It would be one thing if they alternated between me and my sister, however they would use both of us each time. I understood to some degree, they wanted to see if there were contradictions, if this perhaps actually was some elaborate scheme with us as mind wiped victims. At least, the headaches began to lessen from each session, although that most certainly didn't make up for the time I got called out at break in school, in front of several other students. In that at least, both Cere and I agreed. Of course, she didn't disagree with much lately, with her strange demeanor.

I looked up from my book- it's information on contact poisons was geared towards beginners with little knowledge of scientific terms. Any book that could address the inexperienced student without completely babying them was my kind of book. As intriguing as it was however, it couldn't hold my attention as my mind drifted between thoughts. Cerelia was slumped across from me, at the only table in our apartment. I hadn't noticed her arrival, as absent as I was from the present. Not to mention, she had been so ghostlike lately.

Cerelia realized at some point that I was paying attention to her, and she sighed miserably. I could only blink. She glanced up at me, then down at her lap, then back at me again. I wasn't sure how to react to that, only raising my eyebrows slightly.

"Aurora, do you..." Cerelia began, pausing for a moment to organize her thoughts. "Do you ever, you know, regret losing English?"

My back straightened, eyes widened. That was an unexpected question. "Honestly? I haven't really thought about it in a long time." It was true. Thinking about how we had lost all knowledge of our first language so that it could be replaced with this world's language was only strange in the beginning. In fact, from the start, it was hard to imagine exactly how this new language was any different, because I no longer had any knowledge on how English worked. I couldn't think of any words. The only hint of this previous language was our slang. Small differences, but luckily they could fit in with the "isolated village" idea.

Cerelia didn't seem to think of this as the right answer. Her eyes bled out frustration from the statement, but somehow she didn't lash out, instead tossing a notebook on to the table. "This has nearly all the information from Narutopedia copied down. I did it before we left, in case I forgot anything." I picked up the note book, there was no title on it. "Narutopedia?" I questioned. "It's a website that I used to go to. It had all the information on this world that got published."

"Oh", I replied, opening the first page. It appeared to be a table of contents. Every line was unintelligible strokes and angles. Nothing like the characters I was used to this past year. The page numbers however, were legible. I flipped to one of them, only to be met with more scribbles. This was English? It was surreal in how unfamiliar it all was. I closed the book, suddenly as uncomfortable as Cerelia appeared to be. "Sorry, I can't read it either. It's weird."

This, she did deem an acceptable answer. " At first, I thought it would be easy to relearn English even after exchanging it. I thought it would still be familiar, and I've been working on it, but... I just can't translate it no matter how hard I try. I thought you should know it existed, just in case." I smiled genuinely. Maybe we were beginning to mend something. "Thanks. Really." Cerelia only nodded, standing up again to hole herself away in our bedroom. Perhaps this is what was bothering her so much lately? It hasn't been so long though, Cerelia should still have most of that knowledge. Maybe it was instead the fact that she couldn't do it?

I didn't want to stay there anymore. It felt tense and heavy. I didn't want to think anymore about how such a big part of me was changed, and had been changed for so long. Language didn't seem so much at first, but it was the whole way we communicated. If I could see something I wrote back home, I probably wouldn't recognize it, never mind understand it. Even if we went back home, would I even be able to communicate with Mom and Dad? Cerelia said her circle was a one-way tradeoff thing, so did that mean that the language part couldn't be reversed? That wasn't fun to think about, so I left the apartment hastily by jumping off the balcony.

What was good for clearing minds? Contrary to what many say, I didn't find training to be good for mind clearing. I'd tried it before, but it would always detract from my work instead. It was too easy to dwell on the problems, and then they would spoil the whole session. No, I needed to spend time with some people. A conversation with another human being would be enough to take my mind off things. Naruto, perhaps? He was the best at distraction, plus I hadn't spent much time with him since that review package, as busy as I was with other things. I tuned myself into the ambient chakra, my nose tilted up slightly to better catch the air.

A vaguely familiar scent flooded me, accompanied by a matching chime. A class mate's chakra was very nearby, close enough to hear. Curious, I concentrated. Shikamaru was just beyond the next building, heading this way. I still wasn't sure how to categorize him. On one hand, he barely spoke a word to me through most of the year. On the other hand, lately he had actually begun talking to me. Only for a few sentences, after school usually. Most often it was because I slipped and the subject of where I was from popped up. Since I couldn't describe where I was from, several of the classmates I sometimes talked to would debate about this. I pretended it was because our village was so isolated that I couldn't even pinpoint it on a fire country map. Some would joke about how I might be a secret spy, and I would try to not act uncomfortable. It was in these conversations that Shikamaru was most likely to comment, asking some minor question.

I waited for him to make his way over, for the life of me, I couldn't think of why he would be wandering this direction. There wasn't much over here, besides more cheap apartment buildings. I didn't want to sound arrogant, even in my head, but was he possibly looking for me some how? He turned past the building ahead, coming into view. I saw him recognize me in surprise. He then responded to the quick wave I sent him.

"No offense, but what brings you to this building?" I blurted out as soon as he was close enough. Shikamaru only shrugged. "My mom wanted me to drop this medicine off." He paused to lift up a small cloth bag. "She knows an old lady who lives in this building with a chronic illness." He was the appropriate picture of a bored, unwilling errand boy. Even I knew the Nara's connection to medicine, so it wasn't strange to think that his mother might make and distribute medicine. "Do you know what room she's in?" I ask, "because if you just know her name, I can't help you. I don't really know anyone in the building." He shook his head. "It's a pain, but I've got it." I step to the side so he can get past, but then think of something. "Wait, why do you have to deliver it? You can't have been delivering it all this time, I would have noticed." I wasn't lying, I was usually pretty aware of chakra in the apartment. Sure, I didn't notice Shikamaru until actively searching for chakra, but I was pretty tuned to the inactivity in the apartment. I could always tell when a ninja entered the building. That was almost never, since Cerelia and I were the only non-civilians in the whole apartment.

Shikamaru only sighed. "normally she picks her own medicine up, but she threw out her back. My mom tells me this is a good way for me to '_build character'_."His eyes rolled at the statement, and I could easily hear the implied quotation marks. I can't help but smile. Shikamaru then gives me a considering look. "How would you have noticed?" It seemed that the forced excursion had made him more than a little bored. I had never heard him ask such an unrelated question. Without thinking, I replied, "I would have smelled you." He blinked, raising his eyebrows. I paused, realizing in a moment how strange those words sounded. The acute feeling of embarrassment filled me. "Your chakra, I'd smell your chakra! I blurted, louder than necessary. Luckily, Shikamaru snorted lightly, more amused at my slip up than offended at the implication of having a strong scent.

Then, he asked, "Do you have some blood relation to the Inuzuka clan?" I almost scowled, stopping myself. Naruto would be cackling at this, for all that he compared me to Kiba. "Not that I know of. We think my mom was a retired Konoha ninja, but we never even knew her maiden name, nor any relatives." At least, I hope that was the story. At this point, it was just a game of pretend ignorance. Shikamaru nodded, his curiosity satisfied. "Well, it's not like the Inuzuka's are the only clan with sensory abilities. I'd better drop this medicine off." I agreed, waving him off. It really was a bit strange that Shikamaru was so much more talkative since Naruto and I dragged him up to help with studying, but who was I to complain? It was just harmless conversation after all.

I had made the right choice in visiting Naruto. I realized that for the last while, I had barely visited anybody for reasons other than furthering my work. Of course, it wasn't completely my fault that I was neglecting things. It had been a long and difficult challenge to catch up to everyone in the academy. As it was I was tied with Naruto in overall grade, hovering a little above the minimum for passing. The rest could be chalked up to my inexperience in dealing with friends. It was sometimes hard to remember that I hadn't always had people I could just hang out with, and that I might not have gone through that childhood trial and error process that taught everyone else how to be good friends. Luckily, Naruto was apparently just as new, and I was easily forgiven. For my conscience, I tried to remember that he's supposed to get plenty of friends in the future, at least according to Cerelia.

Then came the theory test. It was even worse of a train wreck than I thought it would be. Question after question drew blanks. Of course half of it turned out to be politics based. I could barely answer any of them. I wish there were more ninja rules than one page of fill-in-the-blanks. I remembered those just fine. Same with the biology/physics/chemistry components- _and I don't care, that's what those subjects are called_. Other than the weirdly challenging physics part, they were actually somewhat easier than what I'd be facing back home. Sure, it would still be put all into a single science course, but it would also be more intensive than "where is the stomach actually located- right under the ribs" or "what three basic parts are essential for any explosive- something to hold it, something to power it, and something to start it". I chalked that up to the vast differences in curriculum. Back home, we only had one measly physical education class, here it was easily 2/3rds of our time.

Even though most of the other subjects held me up, the massive law and politics section drove me down. I sweated through most of the exam, a quick glance around the room showed that I was mostly alone. All except for Naruto, Kiba, Cerelia, and Rika- a classmate who I was surprised hadn't dropped out, seeing as she had been talking to almost everyone about how she wanted to transfer to civilian school and take over her parent's business instead.

I tried to concentrate solely on my own blank exam questions. It didn't seem to matter how heavily I wracked my brain. No answers would come to me. And yet, I felt as if somehow I could find out, if only I tried hard enough. My hands twitched with irritation as I channeled my frustration. The pencil in my left hand swept a line across the paper from the movement. I bit back a curse I'd learned from the job I used to have, and erased the line. All I had succeeded in was wasting more time.

Eventually, the time allotted for the test was up. I handed it in with a heavy heart. I managed to scrawl something down for almost all of the politics questions, but many of them were wild guesses or faint recollections. A fair few of them were probably more accurate at home than in this world. I couldn't bring myself to care, a wrong answer was a wrong answer, even if it was right somewhere else. At the very least, the exam was the only school obligation we had today. I could go home and relax, as many of the others had already left after finishing early.

"How do you think it went?" Naruto asked from behind me. I cringed. "Well, I think I passed... maybe." He slapped my shoulder as we left the exam room behind us. "Eh, you'll be fine, you're smart! We're all gonna pass, believe it!" I could only raise my eyebrows. "I didn't know the answers to at least half the test. I might have to put my hope onto the make-up test." He shrugged. "If you have to, then you have to, but don't worry about it. Iruka isn't going to tell us our marks until Friday"

"That's only two days from now! It's Wednesday!" I panicked. Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, but it's not today. Why get so concerned?" I sighed. Maybe he had a point, worrying wouldn't help me. "I guess", I conceded reluctantly. I didn't like it, but only having to wait two days for a mark was actually quite fortunate. Teachers at my old schools never had things marked in less than a week. Then again, this class was pretty small with 14 people. I heard the other academy classes in our grade were equivalently small. I resolved to calm down, and have as relaxing of a day as I could. We got Thursday off for exam marking purposes. I was going to take advantage of that, regardless of my own worry. I glanced over to my sister, who actually looked far worse off than me. I felt a stab of pity, and hoped that she would do the same.

* * *

When I came back to school, I was glad to have actually done what I set out to do. I did a full-on relaxation. I slept in, visited a bookstore, wandered town, ate out at my old work, and even visited the bath house for the first time. I didn't even train, something that would surely have Lee and Gai in tears. I'd been good almost the entire year though, so they would have to deal with it. So when I sat down beside Naruto in class, I was ready to face the music.

My test landed face down in front of me. I stared at it, unwilling to peek. Naruto snorted at my hesitation, I retaliated with a annoyed glare. He received his test back, flipping it over immediately and giving a big whoop. My curiosity was piqued. "What mark?" I asked as I leaned over to get a look. He snapped his paper across his chest. "Only if you show me yours." I scrunched my face in disapproval. He didn't back down. Finally, I lifted the tip of mine. Fifty six percent. I gritted my teeth, that was an abomination of a mark, although thankfully a pass- more than I was expecting. I glanced to Naruto, secretly hoping he had a lower mark. It was possible, he'd celebrate over a fifty one. "Alright, the count of three?" I asked. He shook his head. "No, that's too long. How about...now!" On his word, both of us whipped them out.

"Hahaha, I can't believe I beat you!" Naruto started laughing hysterically. I pouted. Fifty nine percent was neatly written at the top of his test. It was only by three percent, but it still sucked. Still, I had to concede defeat. "Who's not dead last now! Naruto crowed. At this, I couldn't help but lightly shove him. "Stop bragging, dummy. You didn't win by that much." Naruto only continued to laugh until Iruka yelled at him- at which point he just settled on a shit eating grin.

I caught up to Cerelia for the walk home. It would be easier to run, but she looked about to cry. I had a sinking suspicion why. She silently regarded me as I went to her side. For several minutes we walked, Cerelia with her head down. Finally, I had to ask. "How bad was it?" She flinched, looking between me and the ground.

"W-what was your mark?" She asked me in a wavering voice. That couldn't be good. The last time I remember her crying was probably either when we were in one of those big fights, or the time the fan girls got revenge for the bug prank. She probably wouldn't want to hear it, but I wasn't about to lie. "Fifty six percent." I saw the tears well up in her caramel-amber eyes.

It was a whisper I could barely hear, but I heard it. "Forty four..." It was as I suspected. A fail. At least it was no longer too surreal for me to react. "That's not too far from a pass. You can still take the make-up, right? And you'll have this exam to study off of" I tried to assure her. Cerelia shrugged, sniffling a little.

"Yeah, I have the chance to do the make up next weekend, but that's my only chance." She began, "Then, I just have to worry about the practical..." She trailed off, bringing a knuckle to her teeth. Cerelia turned to me again, her eyes now panicked. "I don't think I can pass!" It was like I was struck. She had admitted it, and with a healthy dose of earnestness. But now I had to figure out how to comfort her. We've had many bad, horrible moments since coming here, but there was too much good history between us for me to actually want her failure. She was my sister after all.

"Well, what makes you think that? You were always the best athlete and student back home. Surely if you really apply yourself in the next two weeks, you can do it." Cerelia shook in denial. "You don't understand, everything that made me succeed at home is just gone! I thought it was a mistake, that I could bring it back, but. It. Just. Won't!" Her voice broke into the higher pitches of frustration. I could feel her tumultuous emotions through her chakra pattern, they were so strong.

"What do you mean, Cere? Sure, you haven't studied or trained as much as you should have, but that was just overconfidence. It doesn't mean you stopped being talented, it just means you haven't been applying your talent." I reasoned. That had always been my theory, anyways. But apparently, it wasn't the case. "No, that's just it. My talent was never-" She cut herself off. "I mean, the reason I was ever any good-" She stopped again, looking even more frustrated. Finally, she huffed, coming to a decision. "No, I should tell you. I'll explain everything as soon as we get inside." I didn't know what to say. We were already just outside the apartment building. I settled on a simple "Alright." We climbed the stairs in silence. Cerelia's keys in the doorknob were almost deafeningly loud in comparison. Our building was always quiet, but this time of day most were either out at work, or taking a nap because they were old and retired.

"Okay, so this has been going on for a long time, since I was six or seven." Cerelia said the moment the door was closed and out shoes were off. I nodded for her to continue. "You remember when we were little and went to that nature museum?" I thought about it. "Not really, no. What was it like, again?"

"It was on a field trip, most of it was indoor, and talked about the aboriginal people who lived there, but there was an outdoor forest area you could walk around in." Recognition struck. "Oh yeah! We weren't allowed to go to the outside area because there was no fencing between it and the rest of that forest. Because the whole forest belonged to the museum. But you went out with a couple other kids, and got lost, right?"

"Yes, they ran off without me, but that's okay because they found their way back and got the staff to come find me." I remembered that event now. Mom and Dad were pretty annoyed about that. "So what does that have to do about anything?"

"I'm getting to that." Cerelia snapped, but there wasn't any malice behind it, only apprehension. "Well, I'm not sure how to put this." She paused for a few beats. "Haven't you ever wondered how I even did that magic that got us sent to this world in the first place?" I had no answer. The truth was, in all this time, I had never even given it a second thought. It had been the last thing on my mind at the time, and there never seemed to be a reason to question it after. After all, Cerelia hadn't used anything like it since coming here. "I, uh, not really. How did you do it?" I flushed in embarrassment. It really should have been one of my first questions.

"It's kind of hard to believe, but so is the fact that it got us here. When I got lost on that field trip, I met a person. Well, not really a person, I guess. A being? Deity? I don't know." She was right, it was hard to believe. But then again, so was the idea of using magic to transport oneself to another universe. After all, magic wasn't supposed to be possible in our world. Finally, I forced myself to take Cerelia seriously. She had no reason to lie. Still, I found myself full of questions. "What did it call itself What did it look like? What do you mean by 'not a person'?" Cerelia waved at me in a cease-and-desist motion. I shut up. "Well, it was more of a he. He didn't really give me a name, I remember him saying that 'the closest name you have for me is Hermes', you know, like the Greek god? And he looked kind of like a normal person. Only, you know, he materialized out of the air after I tripped on a rock thing. It turned out to be a piece of some man made building that was part broken."

"What happened next?" Was all I could ask. " I don't remember a lot, it was a long time ago. But basically he said something about me being interesting. He gave me this ability to make trades." I spoke before she could continue. "Make trades? That doesn't sound like anything special."

"No, it wasn't that I could trade physical stuff, like selling. I mean, he gave me a power where I could make trades of myself. It's how I got us to this world. I used it to trade our location at home to our location in this world. I traded English for Japanese. Bodies couldn't hold and didn't require chakra, to identical bodies that could. It's an amazing power, but it has to be an equal trade."

"Okay, but if it all works off of equal trade, how did we get to have almost-Genin chakra levels? It was helpful for learning jutsu more quickly, but wouldn't we have gotten civilian chakra?" Cerelia nodded. "That makes sense, but the thing is, my power was objective. It doesn't matter if something is 'better' in my opinion. I told it to give me the level of chakra equivalent to my current fitness level. Since chakra is part physical and part mental, and I was at the top for both, I got a larger amount. You probably got a little less than me, but still a lot since you were both athletic and somewhat book smart as well."

"Okay, that makes some sense. That's kind of a crazy story though. So this Hermes guy just gave you this power and left?"

"No," Cerelia immediately replied. "He gave me two guidelines. One was that if I told anyone, he would return to reverse his blessing. The second was that, if I wanted to travel the dimensions as he does, I would be trading my gift as well." Both of us frowned. "Wait, so why are you telling me this? He said you'd lose your 'blessing' if you told me." My neck prickled with wariness, and I engaged my chakra sensing. The thought of this creature popping out of nowhere had me on edge.

"That's just it, I already lost it! Did you hear the second thing? He said I'd have to lose my trading power if I went to another world. And I was prepared to do that. Only, I didn't realize that it wouldn't just lose my trading, I'd lose the effects of all my other trades. All my preparations went to hell, only I didn't realize it right away."

"But how would you know that, if you only used it to move here- wait, what else did you use it for?" Cerelia flushed in embarrassment. "For anything and everything, really. I used it to be good in school without trying. I would study very hard for a single subject I enjoyed, like manga for example. Then I would trade my knowledge of that for knowledge in school subjects. When we were kids, we could both sing really well. I traded my singing ability for another instrument, and then I'd trade that ability for another instrument. Same with art." An uncharacteristic wave of anger washed over me. "So, you mean to say that all these years, you weren't actually a prodigy? Everyone thought you were amazing, but you were just trading abilities like Pokemon cards?"

"Hey, don't think you would have done anything different if you were in my place!" Cerelia defended. "Look, I was seven. I just wanted everyone to like me. And it wasn't like I was totally talentless, there wouldn't be anything to trade otherwise. The athletics were mostly natural. Sometimes I would trade a little finger dexterity to my feet for soccer, but otherwise it was all me." I grunt, still affronted from the new information. "Was that all, then?" Cerelia motioned with her hand. "Kind of. That was most of it. I changed my appearance here and there. You remember my hair used to be plain black like yours before. I traded some roots that grew black to grow red instead. I thought it would be cooler, like hair in Anime, without looking too out of place. I traded for cleaner, paler skin without freckles, and hair that stayed hydrated, and for a slightly earlier puberty too." I became even more annoyed. Was anything genuine? "How did you do the clean skin and good hair? Wouldn't that break your equal trade rule?"

"No, like I said, the equality isn't subject to my preference. It doesn't care if people prefer skin without blemishes to skin with. After all, some people find freckles endearing, and some people like having birthmarks. Same with the hair, I just traded one form of hair to another. I didn't give myself stronger hair, it just held on to it's natural oils longer."

"I guess," I tried to get my head around it. "So something happened to all those things you traded for?" Cerelia grimaced. "Yeah. All of my trades reverted to their originals. I was occupied with this whole world, and all the stuff I wanted to do, that I didn't really notice for a long time. Even when I did notice, I didn't worry, because I thought I'd be fine. I forgot just how much of myself had been traded this way and that, it's been over five years now. It was only recently that realized just how bad it was. I was trying to use my trading powers again, although just as Hermes warned, I couldn't do it anymore."

I could see where she was coming from, but I was still mad. A big part of me was shouting that she deserved the shock for relying so hard on it in the first place. If she had worked hard like everyone else, she wouldn't be in this mess. "Wait," I realized, "If everything reversed, why do you still have the red streaks?" Cerelia blushed. "When I realized my roots were coming in all black, I started using red hair dye. I didn't want to go through this whole explanation, so I touched up my roots when you were out training."

Cerelia hesitated again, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Since I'm explaining all of this, I probably owe it to you. I also traded bits of personality." My eyes widened. "What!? How?" I exclaimed. "It wasn't so hard at the time. I wanted to be popular, but even when I was good at things, the other kids would complain when I bragged or said mean things by accident. So I would trade some of my more selfish traits for selfless traits. I made it so that I was empathetic, and had the motivation to help people. I had to trade a bunch of my emotions towards certain things. But I never touched my main drives, or my love of stories and imagination. I think that's part of what made me want to go to this world. Everything got so mixed up, and I lost my feelings for so many things."

My blood ran cold. "So that's it. Your entire self was a lie." I blurted out, mind racing. All my insecurity was built off of a combination of Cerelia's talent and benevolence. Even when she faced me with so much hate and venom in this world, for the longest time I hadn't believed it possible of her. And it wasn't, back then. She cheated to make herself the closest approximation to an angel. "It's not like that!" Cerelia protested. "Really, it isn't. I changed a lot of stuff, yeah, but not everything. I just made it so I always said the right stuff and did the right things for people to like me. Like a series of brain-to-mouth filters. Only, when it all fell apart when we got here, I was hit by all these conflicting emotions that I wasn't used to. Plus, all those fail safes I've had for years that insured me against being horrible were gone suddenly. You don't know what it's like to never have to worry about saying the wrong thing, and then suddenly you can be wrong again, without knowing you can."

"Yes, you got that right. How unfortunate it must be to be like everyone else" I grumbled. Cerelia gave me a hurt look, but didn't comment. I was still pissed, but at least it was some insight. She hadn't been intentionally manipulative, right? Well, it was mostly on purpose, but she had been so emotionally stunted that she hadn't known she was manipulating. Still, on some level, there had to have been a hint of wrongness. There had to have been. You just couldn't be 'constantly put down your sister for daring to pursue the same thing you are' mean without realizing it. At the same time though, I knew I wouldn't get anywhere by fuming.

"So, was this what you were really worried about lately? I thought it was because you couldn't read your notebook." I changed the topic. I wasn't fooling Cerelia either, but she was just as willing to leave that can of worms behind. "The notebook thing was part of it. I was mostly depressed because I was trying to do trades, and it was hopeless, and I realized it was far too late to change things. The notebook was just extra frustration, because I had a good reason for thinking I could decode it." She explained. "How so? It was a trade, right? The book is complete gibberish, and you didn't have any Japanese translations or anything to go by."

"Well I learned a bit about Japanese. Just the Katakana and Hiragana letter system, as well as a few words. So after the trade, I now know the English alphabet, as well as a few words, but nothing else. I think cursive writing took the place of Kanji." I looked at her. "So you just knew the letters? That's more than me, but how would you know a whole language from just that?" Cerelia turned away from my stare. "That part was my arrogance. I thought with the letters and my vague understanding of Japanese, it would be enough, since English was my first language after all. Obviously, it wasn't."

We were both silent for what felt like a long time. I tamed my anger down to a small ember. It couldn't be helped now, after all. At least I broke from the spell long ago, and she had faced the backlash of her actions anyway. Any lecturing on my part wouldn't help anything.

"So, you two done with your heart felt conversation?" A male voice rang out from behind me.

I screamed in pure surprise, whirling behind me. A young man, rather nondescript with plain brown eyes and black hair, stood only feet behind me. How hadn't I noticed him? How did he get here?

"It's you!" Cerelia gasped from behind me. I turned my head back to see her horrified eyes. 'he would return to reverse his blessing' she had said. Fear settled into me, gripping into my shoulder blades as I forced myself to turn around. I jumped back- he had moved his face right to mine.

"Why hello, Aurora was it? Or maybe you'd prefer Kita?" He held his hand out. I stared at it. "I.. how do you know my nickname?" He laughed. "Really? You ask this of an immortal, divine, dimension traveling being who has a deal with a mortal close to you? It would be easier to ask what I don't know." I didn't say anything, and neither did Cerelia.

"Oh, come on. You're not going to ask me what I don't know? Here's a hint- nothing." He smiled widely. "Now, as your sister has so well explained, I don't worry much about names. The closest approximation would be Hermes. Maybe Mercury if you prefer the Roman version, but really, Hermes flows so much better." He thrust his hand out even more. I wanted to whimper. I believed Cerelia, but that didn't mean I wanted to meet this immortal-god-thing. The worst is that he seemed to enjoy the obvious nervousness.

I bit the bullet and shook his hand. It didn't look like he was going to lower it. The shake gave me a deep feeling of wrong-ness, like a flashing red sign that read "danger, not human". His grin turned into a smirk. "Good, so you do have manners." He purred. As I blinked, he disappeared Cerelia's shuffle caused me to turn around- he had reappeared in front of her.

"W-w-what do you want? I already lost the power you gave me." Hermes shook his head. "No, not exactly. You see, it's true your trade included your own power. However, my energy is still in you, even if it is entirely passive now. That is what I am finally here to receive." Before either of us could react, he put his hand to Cerelia's forehead. She gasped, head tilting up involuntarily. A wisp of something I couldn't really see came from her mouth, dissipating into his hand. "There you are. I thank you for your business, though I must say that I got the better out of this trade."

I was scared and intimidated, yes, but I also couldn't help myself. "What did you get out of giving Cerelia power?" I managed to ask. He smiled again- each time he did it seemed to get more creepy. "Hah, it's been a little while since the last person asked me that. I suppose you're wondering what a mortal could offer me? Maybe you're scared that I get her soul or something out of the deal?" Ice grips my heart as I nod. "You don't need to worry about any of that, like I would want something like a soul. No, what I get is the most valuable thing for any immortal. Entertainment."

"What entertainment?" Cerelia asked, emboldened by my questioning. Hermes gestured to the both of us. "You, of course. Watching humans screw themselves over to hell and back with their misuse of my powers. How is that not entertaining? I must admit as well, that you two as a pair have made the best drama I've seen in the last century at least. All that sibling tension. Aurora being the underdog and Cerelia being the perfect one was good on its own, but it really took off when you dragged your sister to this world with you. I almost couldn't believe it, it was so fun to watch."

I was shell shocked. All of this strife, for this creature's sick need for drama? My anger at Cerelia was still there, but this Hermes was quickly becoming a second target. But as it turned out, my anger was nothing to Cerelia. "You gave me this power, knowing I would mess it up?"

He looked at her like she was a particularly dumb child. "Duh. And you didn't just mess up the power with this dimension switch, but your whole life. Your parents wouldn't recognize the real you, and you completely screwed over your sister, and your relationship with her. That's always the best part, everyone takes a slightly different approach to destroying their human ties. The dimension thing was obvious, of course you'd eventually be led there, I straight up told you it was possible."

Cerelia was white with fury, though I was beginning to become more horrified than angry. He was so far beyond us, we might as well be ants for all he cares about how we feel.

"How- how dare you!? You destroyed my life on purpose!" She stepped forward, and Hermes bopped her on the head. "Ah, ah, I didn't destroy anything. You did it. All-on-your-own. I just gave you the tools, and hoped for the best. And I received." He gave a considering look at Cerelia's glowering eyes. "You know, you've no right to be mad. I told you in the beginning it was a mutual trade off. And really, your end is the easiest thing to deliver on. I just get observation rights, from the piece I put inside you."

Cerelia snarled, about to say something. Hermes interrupted her. "It seems you just can't calm down. Oh well, you might as well have an early bedtime tonight." He tapped her on the head again, only instead of doing nothing, this time she crumpled to the ground. "Cere!" I finally spoke, fear filling me again.

"Calm down, she's only asleep. You're the only lady I want to talk to right now." He strolled up next to me. I recoiled. "I don't want to talk to you." I said, trying to be brave. "Aww, don't be like that. I just want to make it up to you. After all, I got so much extra entertainment with you. I couldn't help but observe you extra hard once coming to this world." I stayed quiet this time. He sighed dramatically.

"Look, it normally goes like this: I find person, I give person power, I observe and they entertain me. That's what happened with your sister. But through her, you've skipped straight to the entertaining part. My... limited conscience demands I deliver on my end of the deal." I immediately caught his meaning. "I don't want anything from you. And I never made a deal with you. Go bug some other human." He 'tsked' at me. "Don't you know, the sign of making a deal in your culture is a hand shake? It's out of order, but you've given me my half, and shown your willingness to make a deal. All that's left is to determine what." I bit my cheek furiously. That's why he had been insistent. "Can your gift be to leave and never show up again?"

He laughed. "That's so mean. You're so mean. And no, that doesn't count. I need to give you a piece of my energy, what's left is to determine the form it will take." I tried to look for an escape. "Isn't the entertainmentfrom me really just an extension of my sister? Otherwise you'd be stuck doing this for every mortal in connection with the one you made the deal with first." Hermes laughed. "You're right, you're right. This is a special circumstance, though. When you became part of that trade that landed you here, you got as involved as your sister. Only you haven't gotten your power yet." My eyes narrowed. He may be infinitely powerful, but I saw how Cerelia turned out. I wasn't going to ruin myself for his enjoyment.

"I told you, I don't want anything you have to give." Suddenly, a wave of something passed over the room. The deity wasn't so pleased anymore. "Look, little girl, that isn't how it works. I make trades, that is my thing. I'm not leaving until you have something." Now he looked threatening, my determination faltering as he revealed his terrifying strength. I was helpless.

Once more, I tried to be brave. "I don't want anything like you gave Cerelia. I don't want anything that will affect my life, or anyone else's life in this world." To my surprise, he brightened. "There we go, something I can do. You're a bit of an ungrateful brat, aren't you?" Cheerfully, he snapped his fingers. The same wisp from before drifted out of him, and into my throat. I felt a crippling pain in my feet; immediatley I fell down from the shock. Hermes stood over me. "You, my little one, are lucky that I already got my entertainment. This is the only gift I can give you that fits your unfortunate guidelines. Unfortunate for me anyway, it probably is a smarter move on your part." He childishly stuck his tongue out.

The pain in my feet subsided. Cautiously, I brought my gaze to the source of pain. On the outside of each foot, under the bony ankle protrusion and above the heel, was a simple wing motif, almost like a spiral. I stared at it.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you, now that it's settled. As you commanded, it won't have any effect at all when you are residing in this world. I suppose that you'll soon find out what it does if or when you return to your home world." My head snapped up to face him. "If I return? You mean it's possible?" Hermes smiled and shrugged. "Who can say? Of course, it's possible for me. I go where I please. And you did manage to get here, mostly on your own. What does that tell you?"

I thought for a moment, ignoring the throbbing new tattoos. "...are there other immortal things like you, who would give out a deal of their own?" Hermes shrugged. "Well, I certainly like to think I'm one of a kind."

"No, I mean-" Hermes cut me off. "Don't worry yourself. I know exactly what you meant. I just don't feel like telling you. I tire of this room, as well. I think I may take my leave." I struggled to my feet, which had become shaky.

"Wait, what now? Are you done with us then?"

"Hmm, now you can do whatever you want. Continue as you were, I suppose. And you ask too many questions, so maybe you need an early bed time too." He touched a finger to my head, and darkness bloomed across my senses. I was gone before my body hit the floor.

* * *

A/N: Well, I think I'm going to get mixed reviews about this one. It's always a risk, bringing in new elements to play. Although, for anyone annoyed, I can assure that he's telling the truth about the "wont affect your time here" thing. Her new "gift" will do crap all in the Naruto world, so don't worry. I'm confident we won't be seeing Hermes for a long time.

The funny thing is, of all the things commented on in this story, not a single person has questioned Cerelia's ability to send them there. It is strange though, isn't it? Heck, I didn't even question it initially. Somewhere among the earlier chapters I developed this reasoning. Otherwise it wouldn't make sense that there would be no way to return. And it also nicely wraps up the questions I've occasionally gotten concerning Cerelia- why she was so "nice" before, and why she isn't still amazingly talented. And also why she became so deluded. I don't really like to think of this as an excuse. After all, she really did do all of these things on her own, taking the easy way out by assuming she was still perfect. So it's not like she's absolved of guilt, but now you have an insight on how it got so bad. Is she totally redeemed? Who knows?

Disclaimer- it's pretty late at night. I have no idea if I've made any silly mistakes. Feel free to point them out. I should probably get a beta anyway.


	16. Graduate

My eyes snapped open and while I was used to being greeted with the ceiling of my apartment, the fact that I was looking at a different section of roof than usual was enough to set me off. Immediately, I noticed that I was lying in the main portion of the apartment, not the bed. There were no blankets, no pillow, and no pyjamas. In fact, I was fully dressed.

Confusion only held for a few more moments as I stared up in silence, before my memory came crashing down to me. I shot up like a bullet, eyes roaming wildly for a familiar head of read and black. Cerelia was slumped on the ground behind me, in just the spot she was left in by Hermes. I shuddered, hoping that... whatever the heck he was... had left for good.

"Cere, wake up." I spoke quietly, nudging her shoulder. Predictably, there was no response. It generally took a lot to get Cerelia up. I paused for a moment in consideration before trying the tap pattern we were taught in the academy. Tapping the knee or elbow of a sleeping ninja in this precise pattern was supposed to communicate both a wake-up call and a warning to be silent due to nearby enemies. The several weeks we spent trying to drill that had been terrible, since after all the only way to learn that sort of thing is to repeat it so often that it becomes ingrained.

I was somewhat disappointed when that didn't work, either. We were really supposed to wake up for that. Not that I really had room to criticize, probably the only reason I got past that portion was that I was already quick and quiet to wake before. I finally gave up playing nice with a large shove that had Cerelia groaning immediately.

"Whu..?" Cere mumbled. "Do you remember what happened before? It was-" I turned to the clock on the kitchen wall. "-last evening." I saw the very moment that recognition hit her. Cerelia's eyes widened as she scrambled upright.

"Hermes came, didn't he? Is he still here?" Long locks of hair flew wide, nearly smacking me as Cerelia whipped her head around. "I don't think so. After he made you fall asleep, he talked to me for a bit before putting me asleep too."

Cerelia's caramel eyes zeroed in on mine. "He talked to you!? What about? Tell me he didn't DO anything to you!" My initial response was to fidget as I immediately remembered that mark he threw on me. I didn't want it, I wished it would just fade, but it was there regardless. Well, I hadn't checked for it but something told me it wouldn't just fade away. Unless, maybe it would with time? After all, I had never seen any weird marks on Cerelia.

I turned my gaze down to my foot to investigate. Unconsciously, Cerelia's followed as well until we were both looking at the simple wing design that had most certainly not faded in any way. Cerelia gasped loudly and stomped over, seizing the offending limb. I waved my arms for balance, only managing not to fall from all the ninja training from the past year. I protested with a quiet "hey!" as Cerelia pulled my foot closer up to her face.

"What exactly did you agree to?" She asked urgently, hands gripping the flesh of my ankle in a tight, shaking grip. "I didn't mean to agree to anything. He told me something about how since I got mixed up in this, it meant that he had gotten his part of the deal without delivering mine. Then he said I had to go through with it because we shook hands."

"Did you.." Cerelia began, and then faltered. "Did you get the trading thing? Like what I had?" I shook my head. "I don't quite remember everything, but I specifically said I wanted nothing like what you had. I said I didn't want anything that would affect anyone here. After that, he agreed and put this on me, but he didn't say what it was." Cerelia released my foot and I gratefully restored my proper balance.

"After all I told you, you really should have told him to screw off. How could you accept a gift from him?" Cerelia's voice was laced with what I realized was betrayal.

"Hold on, I just told you I didn't want anything. When I tried to refuse, he started getting mad at me. Even when I said my requirements, I thought I was saying a refusal. I couldn't just stop him from doing it, he's a deity-supernatural-thing!"

I thought of something else before Cerelia had a chance to respond. "Wait, if he's Hermes, does that mean that Greek mythology is true? That there's a whole pantheon of gods back home? Oh gosh, I've only heard of bad things about Greek gods..."

"No, what are you, dumb?" Cerelia snapped. "I thought of that too, when I was little and first met him. But as time went on, I realized there was no way. For one, he only ever introduced himself as Hermes because he said it was the closest thing I could equate to him. Same here, right?"

I started. "You're right, he did say something like Hermes or Mercury was the best approximation, and that he didn't care for names." Cerelia nodded. "When I thought about it, it became obvious. He calls himself Hermes because of the similarity between what he can do or what he stands for is closest to the figure Hermes, and not because he is literally Hermes. After all, if I was gifted powers by a Greek god, there's no way I wouldn't have run into other Greek mythology things."

For a moment I was brought way out of the situation by a sudden realization. "Is that why you were always so weird about the Percy Jackson series? You bought every book, and became obsessed with them for a month or so, but you'd always get really frustrated when you read them."

"Shut up, I was trying to draw some parallels. If Hermes wasn't just borrowing the name, my life would have been a lot more like Percy Jackson." I breathed a sigh of relief. Cerelia made sense, and I for one was glad of that. "Okay, so we don't have to worry about Hades or Zeus anytime soon. But that doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't other beings like him out there, right?"

Cerelia crossed her arms in frustration before answering, "I have no idea. I never asked."

"I did, after you fell asleep. He deflected my question, then made me fall asleep when I tried to ask again. I want to think that it's because he wants to hide that there are others, but he could also be doing it to make us squirm, right?" I reasoned. Cerelia's expression darkened.

"Right. He gave you a power you tried to protest, then you two had a chummy conversation." I was baffled, and admittedly offended. "What's wrong with you!? I was trying to get answers form him! What in the world makes you imply that I wanted anything to do with him?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cerelia spat. "You saw how much I could do with my powers, and begged for your own. You wanted to succeed in this world, after all. How do i know you didn't already make a bunch of trades when I was asleep? Right this second, you could have all sorts of crazy things."

"No, of course not! I wanted to succeed on my own, it wouldn't mean anything if I used that stuff to do it. And besides, even if it would mean something, I saw what it did to you, what it's still doing now. I told him and I'll tell you, I don't want anything like that."

It was obvious enough to see the anger coursing through Cerelia. Less so was the distress shuddering through her shoulders, shaking between her knees. "L-liar! You just couldn't resist the temptation. After so much time being inferior, you just wanted revenge. Even if it's not the same power as mine, you still have Hermes' gift while I'm now the normal one. What am I supposed to think?"

I tried to control my temper. I realized at that moment what was happening. Cerelia was jealous, wasn't she? It hadn't been the first time since coming here either, though I knew this was the first time I was prepared for it fully, unhindered by delusions of perfection spun by that stupid power. Still, that didn't excuse her.

"Look Cere, I don't know what to tell you. You're not thinking rationally." I bit my cheek to stop from saying something regrettable, instead thinking my options through carefully. "I'm leaving, and I'll come back later tonight. I need to train for the practical, and you need to study for the make-up anyways." I began to turn around when Cerelia looked up, and I saw her face. I froze as she approached, both of us overtaken by different emotions. Cerelia had worn that face before. It was from the time she tried to hit me, and even further back, the time she really did hit me.

Sometimes, I still wondered why the hitting was such a big deal. We sparred against each other and classmates regularly. No one cared about a fist to the face then. But it was something about doing it from emotion, doing it for something instinctual rather than trained. That something brought on the anguish and the fear. I hadn't forgotten the raw regret I felt when it was I to strike from rage.

She was standing right in front of me, still with that face, but she hadn't lifted a finger yet. "Don't" She spoke quietly, unfocused. "Don't just run away when I'm talking to you. I want to know why you'd betray me like that. To accept something from him, you'd have had to know what it would do to me."

I lost my tight hold on civility. "I wasn't exactly thinking of your feelings at the time, I was just thinking of getting him away! I. Did. Not. Want. It! What did you expect me to do when he gave it to me anyway?"

"You could have told him to take it back, made him get rid of it!"

"How!? There hadn't been time, he sent me to sleep only a minute later! And there's no way he would have agreed after the fact!"

"Then call him back right now and make him get rid of it!" Cerelia was desperate, grasping for straws that didn't exist.

"I'm not doing that! I don't think he would come, and even if he did, I still don't think he would change it. I'm just going to forget about it, and never use it."

This only earned me a sneer. "As if you'd be able to resist it! You're just making excuses to hide the fact that you really do want a special power."

"You're not even making sense!" I growled, "I don't even know what it does. If I can stay ignorant, then I won't need to worry about temptation!"

Cerelia was about to retort again when I interrupted her. "Just stop it! Think for a second, why don't you? I bet we're giving Hermes a hell of a show right now, fighting like this. If you really hate him, then stop arguing and see reason!"

This somehow seemed to make Cerelia even angrier. "Don't lecture me. I'm not the one with a deal anymore, what do I care what Hermes sees or doesn't see? You can't use that as a trump card just to shut me up!"

I screamed wordlessly in frustration. The flashing anger, the closeness, it was all much to close to handle. I took a step back. Cerelia closed the gap again, and this time she really did raise her arm. It raised more quickly than before, her feet sliding into position more steadily. Of course, she'd had more training since the last time, and as a result, I had less time to think.

I thought I could probably dodge. She was still slower than me. But I remembered, last time I had only wanted to dodge at first. Then the weak beginnings of battle instinct combined with the rush of adrenaline and fear took over. That couldn't happen again, not after I promised. It just crossed my mind that she made a promise too before a pressure tore at my gut.

The air knocked out of me. I was momentarily surprised that it wasn't my face as I doubled over. Was that ninja training too, to go after body parts that were more likely to incapacitate? I was able to straighten up right away, since I had braced at the last second and Cerelia did not have the strongest hit. We both stared at each other for what felt like whole minutes. Cerelia was wide-eyed, fear drowning out her previous anger. I was blank, not able to express my shock. I was the one to be betrayed now, the one to be hurt. My stillness gave way to a slight trembling, not from fear or anger, but from sheer disbelief.

I tore out the balcony door before either of us could fit a word in.

For the first hour, I just sat in my training spot, doing nothing but calming down. After that, I tried to drill myself on the academy jutsu for a while. But in all honesty, I didn't train much that day. I never did when I was particularly stressed. Instead, I wandered the town, my head full of thought. On one hand, I was a little horrified by what had happened. I thought we were making so much progress. Cerelia even told me about her deepest secret. We stood together when that Hermes guy burst in. Then only just after waking up, it was like she regressed, and all those negative things came up to the surface.

On the other hand, it really wasn't the same. I knew why she acted so crazy, for lack of a better term. I could alter my behaviour to suit that, and we could potentially skip any more of these occurrences. But should I? I knew I wasn't perfect either, especially considering the last time. Still, I felt confidant I was in the right here. Cerelia had no right to walk all over me before, and just becoming a new person after years of artificial perfection wasn't a good enough excuse. It wasn't an excuse for the illogical jealousy of today, either. I could let bygones be bygones but not when they were this fresh.

Eventually I decided to seek out Naruto. He was still my best friend, and probably wouldn't pry too much. My senses found him running around the produce market. At least, I think he was moving, it was hard to tell from this distance, when I could only track chakra scent. Either way, the only way Naruto would be in the produce market would be to either play tricks on the people there, or to shake off pursuers. He only ever ate instant food or takeout, after all.

I bought myself a snack and waited it out, since I didn't really feel like getting caught up in the likely chaos. Soon enough, the smell shifted in the direction of his home. I set off to intercept his path, going more quickly from the rooftops.

It didn't take long before startled blue eyes looked up at me. "Kita? Where did you come from?"

I shrugged. "Looking for you. Do you wanna hang out? I know I already visited recently, but-"

"Yeah, of course! Don't worry about it! What do you want to do?" He beamed at me eagerly. Sometimes I forgot that he didn't really have any other friends besides Iruka, who was more of a father figure. I couldn't help it most of the time, one couldn't shorten years of training into one and then still have a social life on top of it. Not that I would have been able to do anything to help him with his issues even if I had the time. He'd be fine though, from what Cerelia used to say back when this was all a book. Naruto went on plenty of adventures and formed plenty of bonds after graduation, he just had to hold on for a few more weeks.

"I don't have a plan, I just needed to get out of the house." I explained frankly, a scowl on my face. Naruto replicated my expression as he tried to piece together my words.

"...is it about your sister?" I didn't answer, but I didn't deny it either, uncomfortably grazing a hand over the spot I'd been hit. It was just a big sore bruise by now. Naruto narrowed his eyes angrily and grabbed my hand. "Let's go, you can tell me all about it. If she did anything, I'll beat her up! I don't care if she's your sister!"

I let him lead me, and sighed wearily. Finally, I spoke, "I don't want to talk about it. I spent all day trying not to think about it." Blonde spikes waved to and fro as Naruto shook his head. This time, he was the one who didn't answer, although his loud stomping into the gravel road was an answer in and of itself.

Neither of us had problems jumping up into his apartment from the window. There, Naruto made true to his first statements and tried to get a summary from me. Part of me did want to tell somebody, because I really didn't know how to deal with this mess. It was all a big blob of drama, without a clear solution. Another part of me knew it would be best to try working it out on my own. It was a delicate situation after all, the last thing it needed was an angry Naruto. Beating up Cerelia would quite literally solve nothing.

Luckily I was able to persuade him to drop it, and we had a fun night just playing board games. As it got darker, I was dreading the thought of going home more and more. Then Naruto hesitantly (and yes, seeing a hesitant Naruto was truly a surreal experience) suggested a sleepover. I agreed instantly, not caring if I was delaying the inevitable. After a quick trip to the laundromat to wash Naruto's sleeping bag that had been lying under a pile of sweaty, dirty clothes since the last school camping trip/mock mission, I was good to go. After one last attempt to get an explanation from me, Naruto was good too.

* * *

I didn't see Cerelia again until school, where I ignored her, and she was too nervous to approach me. When we got home, I was given a fervent apology that I wasn't sure how to respond to. I didn't know if I wanted to forgive so readily. Cerelia admitted readily that it was just her emotions still running high from the meeting with Hermes, and of course she knew I didn't really want the mark and couldn't have done anything about it. But she still broke her promise. Thinking about it too hard made my gut ache so I gave an insincere "it's okay, I've had worse in a sparring mishap", and buried the feelings because I didn't have time to dwell on them. I had to train.

So with that, I closed myself off from human contact as much as possible to prepare. I took turns between physical and chakra sessions, although some part of me realized that Guy-sensei's training had done enough for me that I would definitely pass any physical tests. I realized that back when I had been upgraded from the 'weak' group to the 'average' group. It had happened too late in the year to actually mean a lot, though.

The only times I really saw people were when they sought me out. Lee and his group came by several times to encourage me. Neji may have only been there because it was technically still mission time and there was no way he'd be the person to skip out early, but I was still glad to have him. Even if his best form of encouragement was "You must have been fated to challenge our sensei's ability to teach hopeless cases. In that sense, you have no choice but to graduate, with our expectations on you. But don't forget that you are still a hopeless case, and will hit that ceiling one day."

I smiled through it, mentally translating it into "I was wrong-you will pass, but don't get cocky because I had a good reason for assuming you wouldn't. Also, I still have issues with fate." while Guy and Lee started shouting about youthfulness and overcoming challenges, Tenten rolling her eyes. "Thanks Neji, I'll be sure to pass." I decided was the best response.

"Oh, and Kita, once you've passed and gotten your forehead protector, come find us, okay? We'll go out for celebration!" Lee told me excitedly.

My eyes lit up. "Yeah, that sounds like fun! Oh, but you really didn't have to!"

Dramatically, Guy-sensei spun around and fell on his knees in front of me. "Oh, but of course we have to! You're my student as well now! You are practically a part of this team! And our team always celebrates each others' achievements!" Lee nodded vigorously, adding loud words of agreement. I couldn't stop myself from smiling blindingly as warmth filled me. Neji grumbled something about "unfortunately" and "birthdays aren't even achievements". Tenten started listing possible restaurants and dessert places. I remembered back when Tenten had told me that Guy and Lee had practically adopted me, and wondered if perhaps this is what she had meant.

This put me in much higher spirits for the remaining week before final exams. I was even able to be genuinely happy for Cerelia when she got back with her make up test and revealed it had been a passing grade, in fact significantly better than my own. Our issues aside, how could I not? She was so happy about it that she burst into tears. "A lot of things have gone wrong, but at least this is finally going right. For sure I'm going to pass, then I will graduate. Everything's going to work out!" I smiled as she celebrated. "Now we just both need to pass the practical, right? Piece of cake!"

"Well, I'm not sure it's going to be that easy. But we've both been practising for it, so it should be okay", I reasoned.

Cerelia agreed. "You're right", she said seriously, "I won't take this one for granted. I'm prepared for it. I have to be, since the real plot is so close to happening. I can't afford to not be in the thick of it." For a second I was completely confused. Real plot? What the heck was-? And then I remembered. The story, right. The future that only Cerelia was privy to, well that and the English journal that we, and possibly no one, could read. Suddenly, I felt sick. It had been so long since I last thought of our new home as a story. But it had been a shonen one, hadn't it? Lot's of epic battles and off screen deaths of civilians and cannon fodder.

As Cerelia went off into her own excited world, I recalled the people I knew couldn't defend themselves. Teuchi and Ayame of Ichiraku. Fumiko, Chizue, and the other workers from my old job. The kind librarian who didn't mind showing me how the books were organized, and the Genin library guard who didn't mind leaving suggesting good books for me, and couldn't understand how the Chunin guards could stand such a boring post even though they had a choice, where he didn't as a part of the Genin corps.

Suddenly, it seemed crazy that the Hokage and Inoichi didn't want a part of that future knowledge. I understood their reasoning- any part of it could deviate from the slightest butterfly flap, and depending on untested intel that was impossible to verify could only be suicidal. After all, our presence here could have already changed enough that the whole thing was useless. I knew they knew what they were doing. But it didn't stop the what-ifs.

It was then that I realized Cerelia's English notes were probably more valuable than I originally forgot. Who knew how much Cerelia would remember. It wouldn't do to rely on it, but the knowledge should still exist in some form to use as reference. English was a fully working language, it shouldn't be uncrackable, not with Cerelia's limited knowledge. She knew at least enough to include a sound translation for most of the letter combinations- enough to have something for every variation of katakana character. I remember, it was included in the last page of the note book.

Leaving Cerelia, I checked my bag of school supplies. I still had one copy scroll left over from when I was studying for the theoretical. It was a store bought seal that worked much like a photocopier. I took a blank notebook, one of two leftovers from a previously bought pack of four. After checking that Cerelia was still occupied- I didn't want to explain that I didn't trust her to remember everything or take care of the original notes- before removing the book from it's hiding place. The two sets of papers were stacked facing each other, with the copy scroll in the middle. I pulsed my chakra into the seal very lightly, it was a very simple seal that even third year academy students who were just starting to work with chakra could manage.

The original was safely stowed away in it's spot, and I stared at the perfect copy I had made. I felt slightly overwhelmed. Did I have the right to do this? To privately make a copy of the potential future of this world, just for myself? Sure, I couldn't read it, probably not in a million years, but now I was the only one in the world who knew about this copy. I felt a sudden weight of responsibility. It was dangerous to have more than one of these, and now I had to protect it from the wrong hands, either that or tear it up right now and flush the remains. Was this something like what Cerelia felt, being the only one with actual knowledge of this future? I hugged the copy to my chest. Somehow, I doubted it. I'd keep this one safe as my own secret. Responsibility wouldn't be an issue as long as no one suspected. Still, the notebook felt much heavier than it really was as I slipped it inside a library book in my bag. I would think of a better hiding place later.

I went back to the kitchen/living area where Cerelia was now humming some song to herself. Rather than dwell on it even longer, I made both of us a celebratory dessert. Cerelia readily discussed the training regime she had taken up the past month in order to pass, and I offered some last minute tips, straight from my sensei's mouth. Cerelia even admitted some minor guilt at not going to Guy-sensei for help like I had. "I have to admit, based on you, and especially Lee, he does produce results. But I just... couldn't. Probably still can't. Just, the 'youthful' thing and the spandex and the orange legwarmers." She shuddered. I rolled my eyes, a little offended by the jabs since Guy and Lee were great, dreadfully wonderful people even if they were on the eccentric side. But I knew enough not to fuss about it, since it's not like they would be offended, and it's not like Cerelia's the only one with those thoughts. If it weren't for those things, Guy-sensei would probably be flooded with requests for Taijutsu training, so really I was kind of glad that's how most people thought.

After another week, it was time for the test. Once we passed it, we were officially ninja, and off to the three man squads. But I knew that the Genin corps existed to soak up older Genin, and Genin without squads, so I looked into it further. My Genin library guard buddy explained it to me. Each Jounin instructor could enforce their own test, and if the squad failed, they were sent to Genin corps. Of course, they could repeat the year and try again for a squad, but that was seen as shameful, muscling in on the next year's class and pushing out their overall potential, as the repeating student was basically "stealing" a sensei.

And apparently, it was pretty hard to get out of Genin corps, too. They weren't given any choice of post, and were largely assigned low-risk, low-pay guarding jobs. They couldn't do any real missions unless they were promoted to 'apprenticeship' level. Getting apprentice level was hard, and even after reaching that, one had to convince a Jounin sensei, or Chunin led group to allow them part of the mission. Few were willing to do that as it split pay even further. Usually the only way a significant number of people could escape Genin corps was through war, since even apprentices could only advance by replacing someone on a Genin squad.

So obviously, I had more to worry about than just the practical. If I really wanted to make a difference in this world, I didn't want to get stuck in Genin corps, nicknamed by many as the Genin graveyard. Still, I worried for the practical anyways.

I needn't have worried. It was easy, almost suspiciously so. The only somewhat tough part was the clone technique, which took me a long time to master. Still, I produced all three with ease, just like I had practised over and over and over again. Iruka congratulated me with a smile and pressed a folded blue cloth into my hand. I carefully unfolded it as I walked out, revealing shiny new metal with Konoha's symbol etched perfectly into the centre.

Since Aukess began with 'A', I was one of the first to go. Next, Cerelia came out, squealing in happiness as she held her protector high. "I did it! I did it, baby! I'm a ninja now!" She leaned over to hug me without warning, and I was only somewhat uncomfortable. Her happiness practically flowed out in waves.

"Yeah, you just have to make sure you pass your Jounin teacher's test. I've heard that they're given the freedom to make it whatever they want."

Cerelia shrugged. "Well yeah, but I already know what the test's gonna be. So I've got nothing to worry about." She tapped a finger at her temple knowingly. I just shrugged. The tests of each Jounin-sensei was probably something she had previously read about. "Now," Cerelia changed topics, "Where do you plan on wearing your forehead protector?"

I looked at my sister in confusion. "Uh, doesn't it have to be on your forehead? It's called a forehead protector." Cerelia laughed. "No, it doesn't have to be. Most people do that, but a lot wear them elsewhere, like on an arm, leg, or the neck. Wait, how did you not notice that? Don't Guy and Lee both wear theirs across their hips like a belt?"

I paused. Then laughed. "Hah, you're right. I can't believe I didn't notice that." I inspected the metal and cloth more closely. "I don't know yet, then. Where are you wearing yours?" Cerelia didn't answer with words, instead leaning down and tying it in a simple knot around her right leg, above the knee. Then, she posed dramatically.

"There, doesn't it look good? I didn't want it to cover my face at all, and I wasn't about to wear it like the fan girls. It wouldn't look right across my waist either. But here is good." I considered it. Cerelia was right, that wasn't a bad place for it. I put mine up against my forehead experimentally. "Maybe" Cerelia judged. I moved it to my arm, but my arms hadn't quite packed enough muscle yet and the metal plate was a bit wide. So that was out. I placed it against my neck next. "Not bad", Cerelia commented again.

After a moment's consideration, I tied the cloth behind my neck, pulling it right to my chin. But that didn't feel right, it was a little restrictive, and almost like I was trying to hide myself from the world. I loosened the cloth, creating just enough slack that it lay against my collarbone, but was still too tight to go flying in my face at the first back flip. That felt better. I raised my eyebrows at Cerelia, gesturing at the forehead protector's new home. She gave a cheerful thumbs up. "I like it! So, do you want to go out to Ichiraku's with me? It's a good time to celebrate."

I shook my head, and with the good vibes running through us both, I honestly did feel bad about it. "Sorry, I wanted to wait for Naruto first, then Lee and the others wanted me to visit them as soon as I got this. Maybe tomorrow we can go out?" Cerelia furrowed her eyebrows, opened her mouth, then suddenly clamped it shut. "Right, that's fine." She finally said. "Just, uh, don't worry about Naruto too much, okay?" She immediately ran off as if afraid to say anything else. Don't worry about Naruto? What was she talking about?

I found out only minutes later. The tests didn't take long after all, and quite a few names between Aukess and Uzumaki had gone through during out conversation. As soon as I saw his slumped shoulders and clenched fists, I knew what she was talking about. Immediately, I wished I hadn't put my protector on yet as I approached him.

As soon as Naruto noticed me, he straightened. "Hey, don't look so sour! Congratulations, by the way!" I thanked him quietly, inwardly cursing. Of course, I knew how much difficulty Naruto had with the clone technique. The last I checked, he was still stuck on one sickly clone.

"I'm sorry, it was the clone technique, wasn't it? Is there at least a chance to make up, like with the theoretical?" Naruto scowled, and then brightened considerably.

"Yep, we don't get assigned our sensei until next week, so Iruka says I have until next week to try passing. I get another go at it in two days. I'll get it for sure!" I sighed, then realized that of course it made sense. If Cerelia's future was all centred around Naruto, of course he had to pass. That was probably what she had meant by not worrying, she knew he would fail his first attempt. Regardless, I knew this must have been a big blow for him.

"Do you want me to stay for a while? I could try going over it again." After all, I had spent many a session of attempting to teach Naruto that technique. Considering that I wasn't too great at it myself, it wasn't a surprise we didn't get very far. But as a friend, I owed it to him to at least try.

"No, you already told me you were hanging out with your Genin friends after this. I'll be fine, there's no way this test will beat me twice!"

"Well, if you're sure..."

"Hahaha! Of course I am!" I really wasn't certain that he was, but it was clear he wanted me to go. Maybe he even needed some time alone? So rather than push it, I just smiled and agreed, clearing my head with a deep breath of air through my nose.

Team Guy were predictably at one of the training grounds, although I had half expected them to be in town, since they had definitely mentioned going out to eat. That was one of the great things about having this sensory-mutation thing. When it came to people I knew well, I never had to worry about forgetting a meeting place, or wondering where they were.

The moment I was in the vicinity, two sets of green arms enveloped me in a painful hug. "Congratulations!" Shouted in synch from both Lee and Guy-sensei rattled my ears, but not so much that I couldn't return the hug. In strange unison they let me go. Then Guy-sensei burst into tears. "Oh look how far you've come from just being an ordinary citizen wanting to build a life in Konoha. Under my teaching, you have blossomed into a wonderful new Genin, full of opportunity and youth! Only now I must share you, my student, with another Jounin of the leaf."

"Such a wonderful example of the miracles that occur when a youthful student meets a youthful teacher!" Lee cried, joining in. "Right from the time I saved you and that lady from a mugger, I knew you could do it!"

While I loved the both of them, truly, even this was a bit much for me. I could only laugh wholeheartedly. "What are you talking about, Lee? When you saved me back then you couldn't have known I was entering the academy. Heck, I hadn't known I was entering the academy back then."

"Yes, but I knew that the flame of determination burned in you already! After all, you did try to stop the mugger without any training of your own, when he was stronger and bigger than you."

I was startled enough to blush. "Hey, I didn't know you actually saw that! Geez, that was embarrassing, too." Lee gaped at me, as if it was a horror to consider it shameful.

Then Tenten came in. "Wait, what's this about a mugger? Sounds like a funny story. Oh, and congratulations, also."

"Thanks, but it's really not-"

"What!? My student Kita was mugged when she was still a civilian? Lee, tell me more about this!" Guy-sensei demanded in shock. Lee was about to go into the whole story despite my protests, when Neji saved me.

"Will you please just give her those things. That's the whole reason I was dragged here despite there being no training or missions today." He crossed his arms regally, and I shot him a thankful look which was ignored.

"Oh, of course, you're right, Neji." Guy laughed, suddenly standing back from where he and Lee had been crowding me. He rummaged around a pocket- I had no idea how he had pockets with that spandex suit- and handed me a wrapped package. "Here, Kita Aukess. This is your graduation present, from the team and I."

"What, I get a graduation present? Thank you so much!" I beamed, taken completely by surprise. The package was soft, but had a certain weight to it. It was definitely some form of clothing, but also something else. I opened it to find legwarmers, very similar to what Guy and Lee had. Only these were a dark blue-green, similar in shade to their dark green suits, but more muted. I was impressed that Guy or Lee managed such a pretty colour. It was clear the gift was mainly theirs, and while they were great people, fashion was not a strong suit.

I picked one up, feeling along it. There were several straight rods held somewhere in the fabric, not visible because of the loose folds. Were they weights? But they were far too light to be weights. My confusion must have shown, because immediately Guy-sensei launched into an explanation. "You might not be familiar with them, but those rods inside the fabric are adjustable seal weights. They're a little different from the ordinary weights that you're used to dealing with by now, because even though they fasten around your legs, they affect your whole body equally."

My eyes widen as I begin to understand how useful they were. With weights, the problem was that not every muscle could be trained that way, it was impractical to put weights everywhere. But if the weights were instead a seal that acted on the entire body, then every part would be strengthened. "Yes, it's because the seals don't act the same as weights. Instead of adding more mass, half of the rods increase the force of gravity across your body, while the other half increases resistance from air pressure. The two rod types are alternated on each set, so that when a set is wrapped around a limb, they connect and apply both seals to the whole body. This makes them much easier to slip off one or both sets in the middle of a fight, and you won't have to replace them because you can adjust their intensity levels to an incredible degree"

"This is amazing. I can't believe you'd get it for me, it must have cost a fortune or something!" I was awestruck. Who would have thought the weights hidden under those legwarmers were so amazing?

Guy laughed at my words. "Don't worry, it is my gift to you. Use it to become a wonderful ninja of Konoha!" I grinned, bobbing my head up and down.

"Oh. By the way, you can thank me for the colour." Tenten chimed in, which I promptly did. I would have most definitely worn them even if they were the same bright orange, but that didn't mean I wasn't more pleased with the colour I got.

I listened to Guy explain how to set the intensity for them. It was luckily quite simple, which made sense, since it was clearly designed for Taijutsu specialists, not Fuinjutsu specialists. I put the seal-weights on right away, sliding the legwarmers over top. It did feel quite different from weights, and I stumbled slightly before taking my old weights off. There was no sense in me keeping them when I never bought them to begin with. Guy-sensei could always give them to any other student he might come across. I experimentally waved an arm. It was really cool how the seal-weights allowed more freedom in the sense that I could manoeuvre better and had no annoying straps, but more restrictive because every aspect of movement was effected.

"Alright, now let's go have a celebratory meal!" All of us, excluding Neji, whooped in excitement. And even Neji looked a little happy at that.

* * *

It was hard to come down from that kind of high. Things were going great. When Naruto failed the make up test, I tried not to worry. He stayed optimistic, he had one more chance in three days to pass, and that time, he would for sure. And he had to, right? He obviously passed somehow.

Three days later, I couldn't help but worry when he failed again. I tried to comfort him somewhat, but it didn't take long before I realized it was something I couldn't make better by being there. I finally asked Cerelia about it, worried that maybe something about our presence had messed up Naruto's chance to graduate. She only shook her head, reminded me that I didn't want to know about the future anyways, but not to worry. I took her for her word, and tried to put the whole thing from my mind.

In the end, I was glad I did. The morning we were to return to school for our team assignments, I smelled out Naruto's chakra. I was concerned about finding more of that uncharacteristic heaviness that I associated with his disappointment. Instead, it was completely back to normal and I raced over to his apartment to see a dozing Naruto wearing the Konoha forehead protector instead of his signature goggles. I woke him up to congratulate him and chat for a bit, but we both had to get ready for the day, so I left once again.

For once, Cerelia and I walked together. Cerelia was chatting animatedly about her soon-to-be adventures. "Of course, it isn't all going to be fun and games. After all, Kakashi-sensei is always hours late, and they do get up to some pretty dangerous missions. But I'll make sure they turn out better, you know? I'm not completely how sure it's going to go, though. I mean, I don't know if I'm going to replace Sakura, or be added to the team. Since we're additions, and she didn't fail out, I imagine it might be a four-man? I mean, where else are they going to put me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I've never seen a 4-Genin plus Jounin squad before. I don't know what they do if the numbers don't work out." Cerelia waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm sure it will all work out."

Upon arriving at the classroom, but before either of us had the chance to take our seats, Iruka-sensei called us over. Cerelia gave me a look of confusion that I returned. He herded us into his small office around the corner.

"Excuse me, but what's this about?" Cerelia asked politely. She really had come a long way in her behaviour towards authority over the past year.

"I'm about to explain that. You see, since Naruto earned his Genin rank, our class numbers have gone from perfect numbers, to one extra. Meaning that we can form four teams of three, with one person left over. This isn't too uncommon, even though we only accept class sizes in multiples of three, sometimes one or two people are unable to graduate, leaving those who would have been on their team."

Iruka takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. "I'm sorry, I hate giving this conversation every year that it happens. The extra person is sent automatically to the Genin corps. Which is why we usually send away the one with the lowest grade." My throat had become dry, and Cerelia had stiffened beside me.

"Wh-which one of us is the lowest?" Cerelia asks haltingly. I don't quite want to hear the answer, and it doesn't sound like she does either.

Iruka shook his head. "That's what I said we usually do. If you account for all forms of marks, the lowest is Cerelia, followed by Naruto, followed by Aurora at third lowest. But I've decided that since you two are siblings, and so close to being in the same spot, I'd let you decide between yourselves who will go to Genin corps and who will join a team."

I reel at the news. We have to decide? "I'll leave you two for just a minute to decide things. Please come to a decision soon, and don't touch anything." I didn't look in his direction when he closed the door behind him, only staring desperately at Cerelia, who mirrored my own expression. Neither of us said anything for the first ten seconds. Then just as I was about to speak, Cerelia opened her mouth first.

"Please! I'm begging you, it's got to be me! I have to do this, I can't let myself be sent to the Genin graveyard!"

I chewed on my lower lip before replying. "..I don't want to be sent to Genin corps, either." Not after everything team Guy has helped me with. I needed to become a real ninja to actually challenge myself. I needed to save someone, make a difference for all this sacrifice I was giving. Could I do that in Genin corps?

"I have to, it's the whole reason I came here. Being a ninja, being with the rookie 9, that's my purpose!" Cerelia pleaded. She had a point. It wasn't the same motivation as me, but that didn't make it less valid. Everything she had done to this point was for a place there. Was it right for me to challenge that, no matter how much I wanted to?

A big part of me wanted to butt in and convince Iruka to give the team spot to me just to spite my sister. That part of me wanted to say "screw your unrealistic fan fiction dreams. See what it's like when things don't go your way for once." But that wasn't fair, many things hadn't gone her way since coming here. As many mistakes as Cerelia has made, she's grown too.

Angry eyes, raised arm, a strike to the chest. Whydidshehitme?

Well, she still had a lot to learn. Joining a team could be the best thing for her! That part of me screamed in defiance, not caring what was best for her. She had had the best of everything for long enough. Why not do what was the best for me? But the rest of me knew that was selfish too.

Before I could say anymore on the matter, Iruka came back in. "Have you come to a decision?" Cerelia looked at me with wild, defiant eyes. If I didn't say something soon, she was going to blurt out her claim. I could go first, say that it would be me. I did technically have the better marks, there was a fair chance Iruka would go for it, even if Cerelia protested. But it would kill her. It would be nothing but absolute betrayal.

I bowed my head. I didn't know if I would regret the decision or not, but if I wanted to keep any relationship with my sister, I knew what I had to do. "I'll go to the Genin corps."

* * *

A/N: Okay yeah it's been way too long, I know. What can I say, life has been changing a lot. Heck, I'm an engineering student now. About to sit my first exams actually. Alright, so chapter issues as follows:

I remember a couple of reviewers thinking that Hermes was the legit Greek mythology Hermes. I thought I made it clear he was only borrowing the name? Some asked me why I didn't use Japanese mythology or something and I was just like, he wants them to be familiar with him. Why would he pick a name from mythology they don't know about? To clear it up for good, I added a little snippet about it here.

I know the sibling fight looks a little out of place from the general happiness of the rest of the chapter, but it seemed to want to happen. And I know Aurora's reaction is far more muted than before. The emotions still hit her, but she's had them before and she's trying to figure out how she should feel about it, plus many things have happened in her life since the first time.

Yes, I took some major liberties with Guy and Lee's weights. I just figured, they probably upgrade readily but their legwarmers do not get bulkier from the extra mass. And also they only wear them on their legs, yet the speed of their entire body increases after taking them off (plus them being training nuts I can't see them NOT wearing weights everywhere. Yet you don't see them) I know this sort of goes against the fact that when Lee takes them off in the fight against Gaara, they make a big ruckus from their weight when they fall, I'm just going to chalk that up to the 'gravity increasing' part of the seal-weight's.

I don't think genin corps is in canon, but they are mentioned plenty of times in other SI fanfiction so I didn't think introducing the concept here would be too confusing. And from all the suggestion's I've heard for Kita/Aurora's placement, no one's suggested this- although this has been my plan for a really really long while. Don't worry about her being separated too far from canon though, because I do have a plan.

As usual, the chapter is beta-less. Take any weird grammar or logic mistakes in stride, if you can.


	17. Apprentice

"Are you sure?" Iruka-sensei asked one last time. "Keep in mind that, although extras are allowed to retake the final academy year along with those who are failed by their Jounin sensei, they can only do this in the first year after academy, because of the requirement that academy students may not be older than one year past the standard graduating age. Since you both entered the final year, already being graduating age, next year you will be kicked out on your birthdays, before having the chance to graduate."

That was news. Not that I had really been planning to repeat the year. After all, the taboo of repeating the year and stealing from the year below wouldn't just disappear because I was an extra instead of a failed. Surely, I could accomplish something with this situation? The Genin corps may be hard to escape, but they weren't impossible. I would have to join the hopefuls aspiring for an apprentice slot. "Yes, I volunteer" I confirmed, looking up to meet my teacher's eyes. Iruka-sensei gave me a sympathetic, yet understanding look in return.

"Very well then. I commend you for volunteering your chance as a mission-side ninja. If you wish, you can join the class to find out the placements for your classmates, but you no longer have an obligation to do so." He paused to pull a slip of paper the size of a business card from his desk and handed it to me. "This is the office you need to report to, at 9am the day after tomorrow. There, you'll be officially drafted into the Genin corps and given your placement. You will need identification, but nothing else."

"Why in three days? Don't the others meet their instructors today?"

"Oh, it's later because they don't want new members filtering in over the next few days. They want you all registered at once, so they need to give Jounin instructors enough time to test and judge their squad. You will be joined with any classmates who fail that portion."

"Okay, I understand." I tried to keep the glumness out of my voice.

Iruka patted my shoulder. "I'm sorry things didn't work out quite like you wanted. But don't worry, there is always apprenticeship or medical corps. I know why you're volunteering, and it's unfortunate that I can't really reward your sacrifice. So if you ever need my reference, don't hesitate to ask, alright?"

I smiled, still sad, but appreciative of his words. I wasn't sure what he was talking about with 'reference' but I supposed I would find out. Maybe it was part of the process for applying for the apprenticeship spot? We were both excused from the office so that Iruka-sensei could sort things out before announcing the placements.

The second the door closed, Cerelia hugged me fiercely. "Oh thank you, thank you so much! This means the world to me, truly! I thought my life was over there for a moment!" Cerelia was nearly in tears with joy. I chuckled lightly, shrugging her off. At least she was appreciative now. The Cerelia of months ago would probably have taken it as a given, something already owed to her. "Aura, are you going to watch the placements?"

I considered it. "Uhm, probably. I want to tell Naruto about what happened anyways, or I'll just be bummed out when he comes by asking why he didn't hear my placement. And I'm a little curious where everyone's going to end up." Cerelia hummed in agreement, as we entered the classroom together and for the last time.

I scanned the room immediately. Since no one wanted to miss team placements, and it was just about to start, everyone should be here. Sure enough, even Naruto and Kiba were here, and the two of them were perpetually late. There were several unfamiliar faces as well- I assumed from the other class of this grade, since classes were small it made sense to announce squad placements together. The only missing one from our class was that Rika. I supposed she really did flunk out then. Wait, Yuki was here? I never talked to him, but everyone knew he didn't really want to be a ninja because he was too gentle and pacifist about things. But there was the forehead protector around his head. Maybe he had a change of heart?

I made to sit beside Naruto, but it was difficult. There was some big commotion with a bunch of the classmates. Sasuke and Naruto making loud retching sounds, and most of the girls were crowded around angrily. Beside me, Cerelia gasped tragically. "I can't believe I missed that! Aw, I was looking forward to it all year, I bet it would have been twice as funny to see in person." I was mystified at her mild disappointment, but left it at that. It couldn't have been anything serious. Why was he sitting at the same bench as Sasuke anyways? Well, Sakura was between them, but still.

When the group dispersed somewhat, I managed to slip in the outermost spot. I took the very edge since they were really meant to be three-to-a-bench, although we were all still smaller than adults so there was enough room. Naruto greeted me with a smile as soon as he tore his eyes off of the two on his left. I wasn't sure how he could manage to switch between a blushing smile and an annoyed scowl so fluidly.

"Hey, what were you called out for?" I opened my mouth, but was interrupted by Iruka-sensei walking in, ready to begin. Instead, I promised an explanation after, when Iruka-sensei began to speak congratulating the group. He immediately talked about the squads, and I was taken aback by the surprise voiced by much of the class. How did they not know this? Even disregarding shaky future knowledge of Naruto being on a team, I had read about Konoha's unique practice long ago. While putting new ninja on teams was nothing special, Konoha was the best known example of grouping Genin with a single Jounin instructor in order to speed up their learning. The disadvantage of course was that it really sucked up the village's most useful ninja. Konoha was big enough that its resources were not too drained by shackling some of their Jounin to weaklings to increase the weakling's potential.

Finally, Iruka began naming teams, starting with the other class. That made sense, that he would not team up people from different classes. It was probably to speed up good teamwork by making sure everyone was already familiar with each other. Across the aisle from me, Cerelia was grinning madly. Then Iruka started on our class. "Squad Seven: Naruto Uzumaki.." Her eyes brightened. "..Sakura Haruno.." She sat back in surprise. "...and Sasuke Uchiha." Cerelia straightened even further in anticipation. "Squad Eight. Hinata Hyuuga..."

Cerelia flinched back in surprise. "But, that can't be!" She nearly hissed under her breath. I tilted me head, somehow not surprised. Cerelia had been talking like she knew exactly where she was going to be placed. She thought for sure she would be on the team that her future focused on. I hadn't given it too much thought, but it made sense that she would expect it, just like she used to expect that Sasuke plan to work. I just hoped she didn't worry too much about being placed with others. Regardless of team, Cerelia should remain close to the others, they would be running similar missions.

"..and Shino Aburame." I missed the second person in the team, but by the increasingly fretful looks Cerelia was now giving the teacher, I gathered it wasn't her. There was only one team that I knew she didn't want to be on, and that was with Yuki and Manami. Those two plus Rika were the only ones in the class that Cerelia outright dismissed, probably because they never appeared in her story. "Squad nine: Yuki Riketsu.." I frowned when I realized Cerelia was crossing her fingers, whispering "not here" to herself over and over again. "...Manami Mizumiya.." Iruka-sensei gave Cerelia a disapproving look that she didn't catch, before smiling almost evilly. I had never seen that level of mischief on a teacher's face before. "..and Cerelia Aukess."

So that was why. Iruka-sensei pretended to not hear Cerelia falling out of her bench with a shriek of surprise. I would have been embarrassed by the scene she was making, but Naruto and Sakura had already reacted as badly. Cerelia sat back in her seat with an air of intense gloom, enough that I heard it reflecting off of her chakra pattern. Finally, I took my eyes off of Cerelia to watch Iruka assign Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji to squad 10, then dismiss class until after lunch, when they were to meet with their Jounin teacher.

I put Cerelia out of my mind for now. I understood her distress, even though I thought it was a bit silly since from the beginning there was nothing that said she'd be put with Sasuke and Naruto. Instead, I turned to Naruto, who was about to go after Sakura, who had gone after Sasuke who had fled at the earliest moment he could. "Oh yeah, Kita!", Naruto shouted as soon as he noticed my presence again. "I didn't hear where you got put? I wasn't paying much attention. Man, it stinks that I'm stuck with Sasuke, but at least I have Sakura!"

I gave him a wry grin. "Well, at least you have a team. That's what Iruka called me and Cere out for. One of us had to give up being in a team."

Naruto gave me a skeptical look. "But Iruka just said that we all have to be on teams. How come you aren't?"

"Well you see everyone's in a group of three, right? That leaves one person left over. It had to be me or Cere, and since she wanted a group really badly, I volunteered."

"Oh, okay. So... what does that mean, then? Do you just go on your own missions or something?" Naruto speculated. "That sounds kind of cool, actually."

I couldn't help snorting in amusement. "No, I wish. I get sent to the Genin corps instead."

"Wait." Naruto put a finger to his chin. "I've heard of the Genin corps from somewhere." As he came to realization, he gaped in horror. "Ah, isn't the Genin corps the place where crappy Genin go? The Genin who can't do any missions so they're all assigned boring guard duties?"

I turned my hand back and forth in a "so-so" motion. "Close enough, I guess. People who are Genin for long enough, and are judged poorly enough can get demoted there, or new Genin that fail their Jounin sensei's test get put there, too."

Naruto completely ignored my comment about the test, although I was fairly certain he didn't know about it. I don't think anyone in their group did, based on their surprise at the very concept of the Jounin/Genin squad. "That's horrible! You're way too good for that place, why didn't you put your sister there!? She's way crappier than you!"

I sighed. "Like I told you already, she really wanted to have a squad. After all, it's the only way you can do missions and advance in rank. I wanted it too, but it's not the same, she wanted it from the very beginning. I only wanted to be a ninja to help people."

My words barely registered to Naruto, who started swinging an arm as if preparing for a strike. "Why, I'll show Iruka-sensei a thing or two for letting you get stuck in the corps! Or maybe I'll just beat up your sister instead, and make her switch with you." I pulled sharply on Naruto's jump suit, dragging him back down to the bench.

"Don't do that, I already made my decision. Besides, there's always the chance I could get out of there. I don't think I could go the medic corps route, since I can't control that much chakra, but there's always apprenticeship."

"What the heck is apprenticeship? You mean like for woodworking and pottery and stuff?"

"I guess it's kind of similar to apprenticeships for civilian trades. Basically, there's some application process, and if you're accepted you become an apprentice. After that, you can join other Genin squads on missions where they might want another person. If you go on enough missions as an apprentice, and a space opens, you can join a formal squad."

"Oh." Naruto answered, but he didn't seem to really be grasping it. "So... you need to do a thing and become an apprentice so you can do missions?" I nodded. "And you said you could join other groups after that?" I nodded again. "Wait, that means once you're an apprenticeship, you could go on a mission with my group!"

I shrugged. "If your Jounin teacher allowed it, yeah. I don't know I need to become an apprentice yet, that's what I want to look into."

"Yeah, you definitely need to become an apprentice! I don't know who I got for a teacher, but I'll definitely convince them to bring you on a bunch of really cool missions, believe it!" I laughed at his loud agreement.

"Alright, it's a plan then. You should go track down your team mates or something. I have to go research that, now." Both of us stood up, I allowed Naruto to run off first, shouting about Sakura. Everyone else was long gone, so I closed the door behind me. The best place to learn more about apprenticeship was probably the Genin office that Iruka-sensei gave me the address to, so that was where I decided to go first.

Then, only a short ways away from the academy, he hearing was assaulted by team Guy's chakra, missing Neji's. They were approaching, probably to ask me about my team, though Neji seemed to have finally gotten out of it. I was conflicted in seeing them, not wanting to admit that I got stuck in Genin corps before I even had the chance to show myself. But they wouldn't be here except to seek me out, and it would be rude to avoid them.

"Kita, how are your new weights?" Lee shouted cheerfully once they were within range. I grinned despite my worries, gesturing proudly to where they hung below my knees.

"They're great! Still getting used to them." Which was true. I was also a little confused that no one mentioned them, even though I had been wearing them constantly since I received the present. Although, now that I thought about it, Iruka-sensei may have raised his eyebrows at them this morning.

"Well, what team are you?" Tenten asked, for once able to get a word in before both of her more exuberant team mates could say something about youth.

Lee and Guy-sensei both nodded enthusiastically at the question. I gave myself a self-deprecating smile. "Sorry, I didn't get to be in a Genin team. There was one extra this year, and since me and my sister were the new ones, it had to be one of us. I knew my sister wanted it really bad, so I let her get the team placement." I braced myself for the waterworks, which did not disappoint.

"Oh, such self sacrifice! Kita, you are truly another embodiment of youth and generosity!"

"That's terrible, but pretty selfless of you, I guess. So it's the Genin graveyard for you, then?" Tenten clarified.

"Yeah, I'm looking into the apprenticeship system, though. I'm not sure what it requires, but I've heard it's very hard to get into." I explained again, although Tenten was much more knowledgeable than Naruto, so I didn't need to repeat myself so much. She agreed, admitting that she didn't know anything about apprenticeship either.

"Guy-sensei, what's apprenticeship?" Lee enquired, and I opened my mouth to explain, only to be cut off.

"That's right, apprenticeship!" Guy-sensei exclaimed. "Once you get that, even we could take you on missions!" He mused to himself. "It won't be any trouble, I know how much potential you have to be an amazing ninja."

Hope sparked inside me. "Guy-sensei, do you know what the requirements are?"

"Of course. All you need to be accepted into the apprenticeship system are seven references. Two Jounin to vouch for your potential, at least one of which must agree formally to take you on a mission. Two Chunin, to vouch for your behaviour as an academy student. Finally, three Genin to vouch for your character as a peer." I blanched at that. So that was why it was so hard to become an apprentice. The Chunin and Genin were probably not very difficult, you could farm them from teachers and classmates. But the Jounin? I was lucky enough to know Guy-sensei, but even I didn't know two Jounin. Plus, one of them had to want to take you on a mission.

But, Guy-sensei didn't look worried in the slightest. He had to know that those references were nearly impossible. Then again, maybe not. I only needed to find one Jounin, right? "Okay, from my classmates, I could find the Genin references, and I already know Iruka-sensei will do it for me, so I can probably find another Chunin teacher. But even assuming you'll reference me, I still need to find another Jounin."

Guy-sensei waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about a thing. I will get one of my many Jounin friends to help. Maybe even.. of course, I'll ask my eternal rival! All you need to do is find the other five."

Before I could speak from my surprise, Lee rejoined the conversation. "So that's all Kita needs to join us? I will gladly act as reference, as I'm sure Tenten and Neji will as well!"

"I definitely will," Tenten answered, "But I don't know about Neji. He might just whine about fate or something. Sensei might be able to wear him down, though."

"No, that's fine. Naruto will reference me for sure." I answered automatically, not having to worry about that. The hope inside of me had filled to bursting. Not an hour after finding those terrible circumstances, things were already turning around. "Thanks so much, you guys. I don't know what I'd do without your help!" I exclaimed sincerely. I don't know what in the world would have happened to me if I hadn't searched them down back then to ask for training. I might not have even been an official Konoha Kunoichi, and even if I still had, I would definitely be doomed to the graveyard.

Guy-sensei and Lee predictably posed. "Do not thank me, it is natural for a teacher to help his student!"

"And it is natural for a friend to help his friend!" Lee added. My cheeks hurt already from smiling, but I couldn't stop. "Yeah!" I agreed.

* * *

The next few hours after that were a bit hectic. First, I went to Iruka sensei, who looked wholly unsurprised that I had something worked out so soon. "I may not know Might Guy very well, but I remember when you told me you were getting his help. I suspected he wouldn't leave someone he personally trained to the Genin Corps. Now, you need to find one other Chunin to reference, am I right?"

"Yeah, I was going to ask around the academy. I don't really know many instructors, but I thought I might ask Mizuki-sensei. I haven't seen him lately, though." It was a little weird that I hadn't sensed him around the academy, but I didn't know him well enough to pinpoint his location from all of Konoha. Unexpectedly, Iruka-sensei's expression darkened.

"Sorry, Mizuki doesn't work here, anymore. It's a shame you were only here for one year, you wouldn't have met other instructors, which will make things difficult. How about this, I'll ask one of my work friends. It should still count as a reference, because they know me and can vouch for my choices."

Needless to say, I thanked him profusely, while putting the subject if Mizuki-sensei far from my mind. It didn't sound like anything good, and to be honest I wasn't very fond of him to begin with.

Next was the Genin office. As suspected, they had the forms for apprenticeship under the desk, all I had to do was ask the secretary. "Thanks, and can I ask one other thing?" I thought of another good question. The secretary gave me a bland stare that I took as consent. "How soon can I hand this in? Do I have to wait until after I am registered?"

The secretary looked at me like I was crazy. "There isn't any reason why not. The apprenticeship program has a different database to register in since they are more like mission ninja than corps ninja. Normally they will switch you over, but you could just bring your ID and completed reference form, then go straight into apprenticeship." She explained, all the while giving me a sceptical gaze that clearly thought I was an idiot to entertain the possibility of escaping the corps so quickly. I ignored it and thanked her.

Guy-sensei promised me he'd bring a Jounin friend sometime later tomorrow, so I didn't need to seek him out. Iruka-sensei told me to stop by the school tomorrow right after it let out for his contribution. All that left were the Genin references. I elected to find Tenten and Lee tomorrow if they weren't with Guy-sensei, and get Naruto's when he came back from his team meeting.

I treated myself to a vendor snack, elated at things working out. What were the chances? Then again, that might be the point of those herculean reference requirements. They were very hard for the average person, but very easy to someone with a network. And somehow along the way, I had developed a network of my own. It was such an alien concept for the old me, back in my home world. But here, I couldn't deny my connections.

Cerelia was already home when I finally got there, which I found weird, since I could smell that Naruto was still at the academy. "How was the team meeting?"

Cerelia sighed dramatically. "I'm still grateful for what you did, don't get me wrong, but I still can't believe I got stuck with the non-canons. Even our teacher isn't canon!"

"Why does that matter?" I ask curiously. "I mean, you're still on a team, you can still take missions and things, right? Who is your Jounin instructor, anyways?"

"His name is Kanamaru Yonken And it does matter, because if they aren't canon, it's because they suck too much to appear in-story." I frown at her, and she throws up her hands. "Well, it's true! Even if you don't take that into account, Manami is a total airhead fan girl, and Yuki is a huge wimp. They're both pathetic." I disagreed, but didn't say anything else. Manami did have a fair mean streak, but she wasn't a total idiot. Yuki I didn't know, but I did know that Cerelia wasn't about to give either of them a fair chance.

"Well, just remember you need to work together well enough to pass your instructor's test. It would suck to get this far, and fail, right?"

She laughed. "Yeah, that would be terrible, after all that effort.. oh, oops, sorry." I just reminded her that I wouldn't have mentioned it if I were sore about it. Although, I probably would have still been sore about it if I didn't have a solution so soon. It sounded bad, but I didn't feel like telling Cerelia about my success just yet. Maybe it was a bit of revenge for her sounding so disappointed after I sacrificed my spot- after all, I would have been just as pleased to team with Yuki and Manami as any of the other students. Well not quite, obviously I'd have been extra pleased to team with Naruto, and not quite as pleased to team with Sasuke. Maybe it was good that they were both on the same team so balance each other out.

I decided to tell her only after I secured an apprenticeship slot. I didn't want her to immediately forget what I did just because it was resolving itself, after all, I hadn't known that at the time. Alternatively, I didn't want to With that in mind, I relaxed in the bedroom, keeping my smelling sense in focus until Naruto finally left the academy.

His apartment was only a block away from mine, so I waited until after he was home for a few minutes before running over. Naruto pouted as soon as he saw me. "Hey, Kita. I bet you knew there was a second test. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did, when I was talking to you earlier. But you weren't paying attention. Who's your instructor?" I knew he hadn't listened before, but I didn't blame him. His tendency to let his mind run a mile a minute was part of what made him such an interesting person.

"Oh, it's this dopey guy called Kakashi Hatake. He was really, really late. He didn't even dodge the chalkboard eraser I put in the doorway when I got too bored." I thought about the name for a minute. I felt like I'd heard the name before several times, but I couldn't place it.

"Well, maybe he will turn out to be better the more you get to know him. Do you know what your test will be?"

"Yeah, he says it's a survival test. Says it's going to be so hard that we'll throw up if we eat breakfast!"

I frowned. "That sounds pretty brutal. Is he even allowed to give you a test that hard of a test? I mean, there has to be some kind of regulation of what he's supposed to test."

Naruto could only shrug. "Well, that's what he told us, anyways. I don't want to talk about him or his stupid test anyways."

Luckily, I had just the topic to change to. I told him about the references I needed, and with a simple "Seriously? That's it!? Awesome!" I had my first reference completed. I was lucky it was so simple, only requiring two lines to establish that he knew me, and a dated signature. I wasn't sure what I'd do if it required much more than that. After that, I left to go home, as he wanted to prepare his supper. I did the same with Cerelia, and settled into a night of anticipation.

I decided to sleep in that morning, something that was unusual. Even Cerelia seemed surprised when she was the first one out of bed for once. I simply waved her off as she prepared to meet her team for their test. Eventually when I did get up properly, I made myself lunch and then located Tenten and Lee. It must have been a day off for them, as they were not together.

First, I caught Tenten in the market, grocery shopping just like she had been the first time I had a full conversation with her. After grabbing her signature, I went to Lee, who for the first time was not training when I found him. He was reading something that probably was training related based on what I knew of him, but I didn't check in the hope that it wasn't. He really needed to take it easy sometimes. I got his reference and we chatted for a while, actually having a normal conversation. He would always be exuberant, much like Naruto would always be a little hyper, but he wasn't nearly as single minded when separated from his team.

A funny, familiar scent passed through my nose. I paused in our conversation, realizing it was Naruto. Usually, I could only smell chakra when I concentrated on it, since this was a hidden village, and thus had tons of people with strong chakra scents. I focused on it, realizing that there was a sharp lightness to it. Only recently had I started being able to recognize faint emotions, but that definitely smelled like joy to me. He must have just passed his test. I knew he had it in him, and I was sure he would tell me all about it later.

"Kita, what just happened?" Lee enquired, tilting his head slightly. "You look like you just noticed something good happen."

He knew about my chakra smelling and hearing, so I simply replied, "I just noticed my friend Naruto. He seems happier than normal, so I'm pretty sure he passed his instructor's test." I knew that Lee didn't need any more context than that, and sure enough, he smiled broadly.

"Really, that's great! Congratulate him for me! Oh, I should meet Naruto sometime soon then, since he is now a fully fledged Genin, just like I am."

I agreed. "Sounds good. Sometime I'll introduce you two, you'd probably get along. I was going to leave him be for now though, let him celebrate with his teammates. I might visit him later though, to ask how it went.

"That's a great idea! I will meet him another time, then! Perhaps both of our teams can meet and have a friendly spar." I agreed, though personally the idea of Sakura participating in a voluntary spar seemed pretty far fetched.

We talked for a little longer before I excused myself. It was around the agreed-to time, so I stopped by the academy. There, I collected signatures from both Iruka-sensei and a teacher I'd never met, but was perfectly fine with referencing me. I thanked them both again and set off to the library. I was still waiting on Guy-sensei and his friend after all, and I didn't really want them to come to my apartment. For one, it was too cluttered and crowded for someone like Guy-sensei, and for another Cerelia was always weird around him because of the eccentricities. He said he was going to bring his 'eternal rival', and I could only imagine the rival of Guy-sensei had to be just as enthusiastically insane.

Not to mention, corps or no corps, I could finally check out the Genin section of the library. After gesturing proudly to the Genin guard I knew and getting a congrats for my troubles, that's where I spent my time. I didn't worry about being hard to find, since being a Jounin meant that there wasn't any way Guy-sensei couldn't track me down in seconds.

Of course, as I was absorbed in a more advanced volume of chakra exercises, I realized I hadn't been thinking of the right things to worry about. One of them being the concept of Might Guy and indoor voice being in the same sentence. He got us kicked out before he even had the chance to introduce his silver haired, masked companion. Of course, then Guy-sensei just did his introduction on the library steps.

"My rival, allow me to introduce you to my youthful student, Aurora Aukess, who goes by the nickname of Kita! Kita, this is my great, eternal rival, Kakashi Hatake!" Well, that was a surprise. Suddenly, I remembered- that was where I heard his name. Guy-sensei had mentioned his rival's name a few times, but it didn't seem significant so I never paid it much heed.

"Hmm, that so?" Kakashi lazily waved his hand. I stared silently for a few minutes, trying to place the comments Naruto had made to this new person.

"Naruto's Jounin teacher is Guy-sensei's rival?" Was the only thing I could think to say. Kakashi raised his only visible eyebrow, but otherwise didn't respond.

"Your friend is in his team?" Guy exclaimed. "How coincidental! Our squads must meet sometime soon, and perhaps have a friendly spar!" I laughed lightly at hearing the same words from Lee earlier.

"Ah, that probably won't be necessary. My little Genin need some more team building before anything like that." Kakashi noted. I could definitely see it. Immediately I felt bad for him, being stuck with Naruto as he acted around Sasuke, Sakura as she acted around the both of them, and Sasuke just in general. Although, based on what I've seen, he might just be able to handle it. He seemed pretty laid back, and if he stayed level headed it wouldn't be too hard to separate squabbles before they went very far.

Come to think of it, how did he end up being Guy-sensei's rival? From my first two minutes of meeting him, Kakashi seemed like the last type of person to be anywhere in the same vicinity as Guy-sensei. Glancing to my teacher, I realized that maybe this rivalry was somewhat one sided. But they did have to be some form of friends; I couldn't imagine him agreeing to this otherwise.

My mind snapped back to the whole reason the two Jounin had come to me in the first place. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Hatake. Thanks for helping me out." I pulled the nearly filled paper, presenting it to the mostly unfamiliar shinobi.

He shrugged his slumped shoulders as he took the offered form. "I don't mind. If you're friends with Naruto, I may see you later." He handed it back to me, disappearing the next moment. I blinked. How did he sign it so fast? And how did he do it without a hard surface? I peeked down at the paper to see the new writing there. It didn't even look rushed. I decided not to worry about it, allowing Guy-sensei to write into the last slot.

"Alright, now you just need to hand this in right away! Our mission is tomorrow, and you can join us at dawn for our pre-mission warm up!"

My jaw dropped. "I get to go on a mission tomorrow? That's so soon!" In fact, it exactly replaced when I was originally to register in the Genin corps. Guy-sensei correctly interpreted my surprise as a happy one, and started laughing.

"Of course! It won't be a hard mission, so there's no reason not to start as soon as possible! I included in my statement the exact mission, so don't worry about informing the right people." I couldn't help it, I joined in the laughter as well.

"I can't wait, then!"

Being in high spirits, I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings when I got home. I had successfully handed in my reference form, and true enough they registered me as an apprentice right then and there, since I had thought to bring my identification papers. I had faced the Genin corps, and almost completely squeaked out of it's grasp before I was even truly in it. I was so pleased at everything working out that I wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted me in the apartment.

Cerelia, draped across the table with her head in her arms, piles of tissues piled around her. Only one thing could have done this to her, and thus only one thought crossed my mind. Cerelia failed.

She lifted her head, eyes rimmed with red puffy skin glanced to mine before glancing down again. "It's obvious, isn't it?" She croaked. I didn't answer that, instead creeping hesitantly to the opposite side of the table. I felt horrible about it, but a miserable Cerelia was extremely unstable. I was glad she didn't yet know of my good news. I wasn't sure how she would take it, and preferred to avoid finding out.

"Tell me about it?" I ventured. That seemed like a safe response. Cerelia heaved a great sigh, letting out half a sob as she exhaled.

"There isn't much to tell. His test was to avoid as many of his traps as we could, and get from one end of the field to the other within a time limit." She stopped to wipe her already raw nose. "I knew it was going to be about teamwork, I knew it! But I was still tricked. It's not like I left them to die, I just thought it would be better if one of us got there early, rather than all of us late. But then I got caught too, and he said that all of the traps were single-victim, so we should have been able so succeed by keeping each other in sight and stopping to free anyone who got caught."

I patted her hand from across the table. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted it." I scolded the part of me that laughed. The same part that wanted me to claim the team spot thought this was just karma coming around. Because I knew she would have a very hard time finding those Jounin references if she also wanted apprenticeship. I couldn't really help her, either. At least some of the connections should be her own.

"I-I'm sorry I wasted what you gave me." Cerelia admitted, tearing up again. I assured her it was fine, that she tried her best, even as I wondered how I would have really felt if I were still facing Genin corps. As it was, I barely felt annoyed at all, since things did work out for me in the end, and even if they hadn't, it's not like Cerelia failed on purpose.

Thinking of Cerelia's team, I wondered if maybe it was built to fail. Iruka-sensei claimed that the teams were built to compliment everyone's strengths and weaknesses, but all three of them were actually the very worst at Taijutsu. Plus, both Cerelia and Manami were bad planners, very poor at thinking ahead. Unless Yuki was some kind of strategist, their team didn't make the most sense. Not to mention, they had been given a test that relied on dodging reflexes and a careful strategy, possibly the worst sort of test for them, save for an outright sparring match. Then again, there was a chance that their instructor had allowed for their low skills. I guessed I would never really know for sure.

"It's not the end of the world though, right? You can still do some things in the Genin corps." I knew my comfort fell flat. Cerelia didn't answer, and I didn't really expect her to. I had no idea what to say. Surprisingly, Cerelia fixed that for me.

"What did Iruka-sensei tell you about earlier, something about how to get out of Genin corps?"

Good. This was something I could answer. "Yeah, he said you could get out by joining medic corps, or becoming an apprentice." I gave her a quick rundown of apprenticeship.

Cerelia allowed a small smile. "Really? So many references sounds hard, but there's a way out, truly? I just need to ask around enough." I agreed, reminding her that very few people were able to actually get those references. "Still, it's possible. Things will still work out, and this way I even be that fourth team member that I thought about before!" She smiled more cheerfully now. "When we go out to register tomorrow, I'll grab one of those forms, too. I'll see Iruka-sensei first, since he already offered to do yours, he'll have to do mine."

I nearly flinched back. Right, she still didn't know. I really should tell her. Really. It would be terrible for her to find out from the secretary when I didn't show up. But her temper was fresh in my memory. It wasn't long ago, that she attacked me from an irrational rage. I had no better way of preventing it now than I did back then. I felt bad about it, but ultimately I couldn't help myself.

"Sorry, I won't be walking with you. I have to wake up at dawn tomorrow for something else." Cerelia was obvious even as she nodded in understanding. It was very much a lie of omission.

In the face of self preservation though, the lie was more than worth it.

* * *

A/N- Hah, bet you weren't expecting such a quick update. This will probably never happen again, by the way. I just wanted things to be set up before we really start merging into canon plot. Also, I will freely admit that when I was just figuring out where I wanted to place my Ocs, part of the reason this idea won out was the fact that I would get to avoid writing about the freaking bell test. I hate the bell test in SI stories. It's always the exact same. Oc eats breakfast, tries (sometimes fails) to get everyone else to eat. Tries to get the group to work together, usually fails anyways. If success, she gives her bell away, and their arguing of who really deserves the bells gets them a pass. If fail, Kakashi acknowledges her attempts to rally them, but still does the whole 'dont feed Naruto and I'll pass you' thing from canon.

I recognize that there's only so many ways to write it, but nevertheless nothing will cause me to skip a chapter faster than seeing that stupid bell test. Oh, and some people have been commenting on how giving them a choice makes no sense, and that they would have either just gone with Cerelia, or included Naruto. Well for one, all the adults know Naruto's a jinchuuriki. What kind of idiot would condemn a jinchuuriki to genin corps? This isn't failing to become a ninja, this is failing to get the qualification for missions. They know very well that Naruto has some insane potential, I assume that's why he got 3 chances to pass. Assigning a jinchuuriki to eternal guard duty (because there's no way he'd have an easy time with those references. He would get them through the power of protagonist, but the other characters don't know that) would be incredibly wasteful. As for why Cerelia and Aurora are given a choice? Well, they were both very close in grade anyway, and they were both the "intruders". Of course, I never said this was the only logic, just the logic the siblings were given.


End file.
